The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage
by Vader23A
Summary: The Nirvana crew, Grypus and Tianlong Squadron continue their war against the Harvesters. With new Harvest units and Gleipnir class airborne fortresses at the enemy's disposal, can the crew defeat them? Also can the crew including Meia help Gryphus 1 find the light he once had or will he remain in darkness? Rated M for moments of graphic violence, lemons and language.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A New Crew Member

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 The Second Stage

_Vandread Dita leads the Dreads, Tianlong and Gryphus Squadron against the Harvesters._

_Hibiki declared, "No way these ways fools are gonna beat us! They got another thing coming!" Suddenly they see specks of light appearing out of the blackness of space._

_Jura asked, "What is that?" The concealed enemy unit fires twin beams of energy at Vandread Dita, blowing off its right arm._

_Hibiki looks to his right to witness Meia and Jura's Dread, Tianlong and Gryphus Squadron's aircraft get severely damaged and the pilots were unresponsive._

_The young Tarak growled, "Damn you!" He aims the Vandread's remaining laser cannon, it charges up at first but then dies. The enemy damages Vandread Dita more and then switches to the Nirvana. Hibiki watches in horror as their home gets destroyed by their ruthless opponent. One final hit destroys Vandread Dita._

Kyle shoots up from his laying position screaming, sweating profusely and panting heavily. He feels a slender hand touch his shoulder making him whip around to see Meia looking at him with concerned eyes, she woke up when Kyle screamed.

Meia asked, "Kyle, what's wrong? You screamed without warning."

The Aurelian replied, "Don't know if it was a dream or some kind of premonition. Did you have it too?" He saw her nod, "What do you think it could mean?"

Meia answered, "Don't know. It was just a dream, Kyle."

Kyle sighed, "I hope so, Meia. Might as well get up since that dream robbed us of beauty sleep." Meia leans forward to kiss him and they get out of bed. Kyle allows Meia to shower first and once she is done, Kyle takes his turn. They next get dress. Meia steps out of the pink nightgown and into her flight suit, zipping it up and puts her circlet on.

Kyle dons some blue jeans secured by a dark brown belt, black T-shirt, socks and white Adidas shoes. He puts his circlet on the right side of his face as part of his oath of wanting to change and no longer felt afraid of showing his artificial left arm, though one couldn't tell if it was because the surgeons did an excellent job replicating it from the real hand, skin and all. It was only until the synthetic skin was cut or scraped enough to show its metallic appearance.

They head for the hanger since Kyle had a feeling the other Dread pilots and Hibiki will be there.

In the hanger, Hibiki stares at his Vanguard as he struggles to grasp on the dream he experienced moments ago.

He mumbled, "That light, what the heck was it?"

Dita called out, "Mr. Alien?" Hearing the girl's voice Hibiki turns around to spot the pilots wearing troubled looks on their faces.

Hibiki asked them, "What is it? What are you doing up so early?" There was a tinge of fear in his voice, not that anyone could blame him.

Meia said, "It was trying to communicate with us. Sending us a message, at that's what it felt like to me."

The Vanguard pilot asked in surprise, "Are you saying you the same thing I did?"

Dita asked, "That means you saw it too?" Kyle looks at the redhead with a deadpanned expression on his face.

'Didn't she hear what Meia said?' He thought.

Jura said, "That's creepy. How can all of us have the same dream at once? It's really weird!"

Meia explained, "All of us here have something in common. The modifications to the Dreads, Vanguard and the aircraft that Gryphus Squadron flies are the proof."

Jura added, "That's still weird. Having the same dream like that is...oh!" She stops when she felt her head throb painfully.

Dita asked, "Jura, are you okay?"

The blonde-haired woman replied, "It's nothing, Dita. I'm going back to bed." The pilots watch her leave and go their separate ways.

Parfet runs to the engine room after receiving urgent news from a fellow engineer.

She asked, "How is it?"

The engineer said, "Not good. Output's decreasing and the numbers aren't stabilizing!"

Parfet asked again, "When did it start happening?"

The engineer replied, "About ten minutes ago."

Parfet stated, "This Paksis was the prototype, I have no way of predicting what it's going to do." She looked at the Paksis, "You're a trouble maker, you know that?" Hibiki wanders through the hallway, his mind still processing on what the dream meant.

'I know it was a dream but it felt so real. What could it mean?' He thought, touching his shoulder.

Dita said, "Mr. Alien!" The Vanguard turns around to see the redhead running up to him.

Hibiki asked, "What do you want now?"

Dita twirled her fingers inside her pajama sleeves, "Well, I was wondering when you'd have time to come visit my room. You made a promise, remember?"

Hibiki blushed, "Dita, look at the situation we're in! We are fighting an enemy that's utterly ruthless and you expect me to visit room now?"

Dita pressed, "But when? Tomorrow? The day after? Or maybe the day after that?" Her closing proximity causes Hibiki to feel uncomfortable.

The Vanguard pilot said, "Sometime soon, okay?" He starts heading for the cafeteria.

Dita said, "Wait, Mr. Alien let's eat together!"

Hibiki replied, "I'll eat by myself, thanks." Meia and Kyle watch them squabble with a smile.

Paiway said, "So a new day begins: Dita chasing Hibiki." She pulled out her frog puppet, "I can't believe Dita would chase a man that's weird, ribbit."

Pyoro came out of nowhere, "Actually that's normal human behavior." He hiccups after that.

Paiway pushed him down with a tick mark, "What do you think you're doing interrupting a lady like that, how rude!" She then realized, "Hold on, I just heard you hiccup. But you're a machine, you can't hiccup." He proves her wrong by hiccuping, send the nurse off her feet. Meia looks at the scene with confusion.

Kyle shook his head, "That spying habit is going to get her into trouble some day. I'm heading to the cafeteria for breakfast. Coming, Meia?"

The Dread leader said, "Right behind you." Magno, BC and Gascogne have a meeting about the current status of their journey.

BC displayed the star map, "We're 90 days from Mejale. In regards to Operation Harvest, Earth's plan to use our bodies as a source for new organs, we've sent all the information we have regarding it to both our home planet and the men's world of Tarak."

Magno asked sternly, "Understood. But what happened to the communication pods we sent out before?"

The platinum-haired woman said, "Don't know, captain. They should have arrived by now but we have not had any reply from Mejale or Tarak."

Gascogne stated the obvious, "It looks like they don't give a shit about us otherwise they would have responded."

Magno reassured, "I'm certain they won't ignore the information we send them this time. Not after they discover that Earth plans to take our reproductive organs."

Parfet popped on the monitor at Magno's side of the desk, _"Parfet reporting."_

Magno asked, "Anything wrong?"

The lead engineer answered, _"Afraid so. The abnormalities the Paksis was giving off earlier this morning, I have no idea what's causing it! We are continuing to follow the control procedure but so far it's not working! The readings we're receiving show the output is 80% normal!"_

Magno groaned, "Not this again."

BC speculated, "We could be experiencing residual rejection effects when the female ship and male ship fused together."

Gascogne said, "Guess it feels the same way we do. Men and women are so different we'll never be able to understand each other." After breakfast Kyle brings Eugene to the simulation room in order to see how much his flying skills have improved.

Kyle watches Eugene begin the simulated fight with Fenrir once flown by Alect Squadron. Throughout the simulation, Kyle notices Eugene utilizing the same tactics he uses in actual combat the veteran pilot concludes the former AWACS only man needs to improvise because the enemy will adapt or come up with new strategies.

Eugene manages to down 2 enemy fighters before the remaining ones box him in and fired ARAAMs simultaneously at his E-3 Sentry II destroying it instantly and resulting in mission failure.

He was about to try again when Kyle stopped him, "Hold it, Eugene. While I admire your need to do the simulation again the end result will be the same. Using the same tactics over and over will only work for so long until your enemy changes strategy or comes up with new ones. In turn you must come up with new ones as well if you wish to keep your opponent off-balance. Keep them guessing what your next move will be and go for the kill when the opportunity presents itself. You may not be on the same level of skill as me or Alex but you are a good pilot. However, unless you improve your skills you won't survive. We both know Earth's pissed that we destroyed one of their flagships and will increase the ferocity of their attacks on us. Those pricks will rue the day thinking they will succeed in this harvest operation. There's something I like you to do, Eugene. Shoot me!"

Eugene asked, "What?"

Kyle nodded, "You heard me right. Aim your gun at me and fire." Eugene brings a shaky hand to his M9A1 Beretta and takes aim at his flight lead. A part of him wonders what Kyle's objective was.

Before he can pull the hammer back, Kyle pulls out his Beretta faster than anyone could blink and shoots Eugene's gun out of his hand. The weapon spins on the floor a few feet behind Eugene before it stops, looking forward the man sees the smoking barrel of Kyle's M9A1.

The Aurelian explained, "There will come a time when you might crash onto a planet that have creatures we can barely imagine, some that only exist in our nightmares. Should you come under attack by something non-friendly do not hesitate to pull the trigger. Do you understand?"

Eugene nodded, "I think so."

Kyle replied, "Good. Now go practice your marksmanship skills, Eugene you must keep them sharp. Oh, yeah one more thing. You need to be more confident in yourself, pal. If you freeze up in battle it will cost you your life." He exits the simulation room and heads for the storage area to look for more books hoping that one of them will contain information about what happened to Aurelia in their absence.

Did Diego Navarro conquer Aurelia or did something far more catastrophic happen? The more he thought about it, the more curious he got. He even asked Duero to help him since he knew the doctor's curiosity about the country increased ever since Christmas of last year.

In the brig Bart ate some pellets and said, "Women are weird. At first I thought they ate men's internal organs but after Gryphus Squadron came into the picture, I have changed my perception about them." He then noticed Duero reading some sort of book, "What's that you're reading, doc?"

Duero held the book up, "I found it on the pioneer ship." He opened the book titled "Hello Baby" and started, "The baby's life begins when the sperm which is the father's seed is accepted by the female's egg called an ovum. The two of them fuse together to form a zygote which in turn develops into a fetus."

Bart asked him, "You actually read that stuff?"

Duero smirked, "I find it fascinating."

Kyle walked into the brig, "Hello, Duero."

The doctor nodded in return, "Greetings, Kyle. Here for more books about Aurelia?"

Kyle replied, "I hope to find one that contains the information I need. You haven't had much luck on your end?"

Duero shook his head, "Sadly no." They spot Hibiki walking tiredly into the brig and collapses onto his bed making them wonder what made him like that.

In the women's restroom a couple of crew members were applying makeup.

The first one said, "It's strange, you know. I mean eating meals with them doesn't bother us anymore."

Her friend added, "Then it's revealed we all originate from the planet Earth. It's too bad Kyle has been taken because I wouldn't mind loving him despite his faults." Barnette was on her way to care of lady's business when she happened to overhear the conversation.

Barnette marched past them, "A prisoner is a prisoner, we can't go easy on them. We need to show that we're the ones in charge!" She exits through the room.

The black-haired crew member asked, "Do you think she'll start another riot? Should we talk to the captain?"

Barnett poked her head through the door, "Oh, shut up you two! I'm not gonna do anything!" She refuses to admit it but the sight of Kyle with those glowing red veins marks terrified her, the dark green-haired woman had a nightmare about it where he lost control and killed the entire Nirvana crew including her. All of them with no conscious, reason or anything remotely human. The Kyle she saw in the nightmare wasn't human he was a demon straight from the depths of hell. Barnette kept telling herself it was only a nightmare, nothing more. She needs to watch her step around him if the young woman doesn't want that nightmare to become a reality.

Back at the brig, Hibiki finishes telling Duero, Bart and Kyle about his interaction with Dita.

Duero asked, "You promised you would go to Dita's room?"

Hibiki nodded, "It came out of the heat of the moment, you know?"

Bart told him "So what's the big deal? Go and see her."

Hibiki retorted, "You go see her!"

Bart pointed at the Vanguard pilot, "You're the one who made the promise, pal not me."

Hibiki grunted before crossing his arms, "You gotta be kidding. Going to a woman's room? A real man would never do that!"

Duero explained, "What real men do is keep their promises. Your other self would have realized that."

The Vanguard pilot said, "It's not like I want to break the promise but..."

Kyle titled his head, "But what? Just spit it out, get it off your chest."

Hibiki blushed, "Look, if I go in there what are we going to do when I'm in there? I mean what are we gonna talk about?"

Bart and Duero looked at each other and said at the same time, "Good point."

Kyle chuckled, "I can think of a few but it'd most likely be casual talk. She wants to get to know you better, Hibiki. Man up, would you? Think of this as a step to becoming a better person."

Hibiki thought about it and sighed, "Okay, I'll think about it." On the Nirvana's bridge, the radar picks up an object.

Amarone said, "Commander, I'm picking up a distress signal."

BC asked, "What type? Is it the Harvest?"

Amarone replied, "No it's not from the Earth's fleet, it's a different frequency. It's coming from an escape pod but that signal has not been used since the Frontier Era!"

BC turned to Magno, "Perhaps it was escaping the forces of Earth and was letting out a distress signal hoping someone would pick it up."

Magno answered, "Something doesn't feel right. We need to be cautious on this one." She then contacted, "Parfet!"

The lead engineer popped on a monitor,_ "Yes, captain?"_

Magno asked her, "How's the Paksis doing?"

Parfet smiled, _"Stabilized somehow."_

The pirate captain nodded, "Carry on." She then contacted Bart, "You there, break time's over!"

Bart sighed, _"Aye-aye, captain."_ The monitor closes after the transmission ends.

Magno leaned back into her seat, "Now we'll see how this plays out." At the infirmary, Duero does a checkup on Ezra's baby using an ultrasound.

Paiway gasped, "Wow, it's really moving!"

Duero said, "This is the last month so they could separate at any time."

Ezra smiled, "Separating? We call it giving birth."

Paiway asked her, "Where do you want your baby, Ezra? We don't have the facilities for such an event but consider we have a guy..." She gives Duero a suggestive look.

Duero cleared his throat, "I'm a doctor and as such I have knowledge about pregnancy." Ezra and Paiway sweat drop at his proclamation.

Jura walked into the infirmary, "Doctor, can I have something for my headache?"

Duero turned in his chair, "What's wrong?"

Jura said, "It all started with that dream."

The doctor cupped his chin, "A dream? Come to think of it, Hibiki mentioned he did have a similar dream the Paksis has been action up. Can they be related somehow?"

Jura felt her head throb and demanded, "My head's killing me, can I please have some medicine?" She noticed Ezra, "Sorry I didn't mean to yell?"

Duero got up, "It's alright. Please have a seat while I find the proper medicine."

Jura sat down and looked at the ultrasound smiling, "Your baby's grown." The blonde-haired Dread pilot spots the Hello Baby book and takes it.

On the bridge, BC stares at the monitor displaying the Nirvana's distance to the escape pod.

She said, "The fact that we're receiving a distress signal means we might have to go into combat at any moment. I want all systems thoroughly checked in a combat ready status report."

Celtic swung around and saluted, "Roger!" She cut out the face of her teddy bear costume.

BC observed the change of look, "I suppose this is an improvement."

Celtic titled her head, "You do?" Barnette shoots the targets in the shooting room, stops for a moment to reload and continues firing.

Eugene practices as well on Kyle's order.

Jura was sitting down and said without warning, "You know, Barnette I wanna have a baby." The announcement caused Barnette and Eugene to miss their final target.

Barnette exclaimed, "What?! A baby?"

Jura smiled, "Yeah."

The dark green-haired woman asked, "And you want me to Ohma, is that it?"

Jura shook her head, "No. Think of what it'd be like to have a baby with a man?" Barnette gasps at that.

'Suddenly I feel extremely uncomfortable.' Eugene thought.

Jura stood up, "That's what I want, Barnette making a baby with a man's seed. Think of going back to Mejale with that news, Barnette. No Mejalian has ever done it before. I would be the first one, I would be Mejale's greatest heroine!" She looks at Barnette with starry eyes and floating hearts.

The dark green-haired woman sighed, "That sounds like something you would do, Jura." She then gave Jura a nervous look, "So this seed, where would you get it? I don't think Mia would forgive you if you did it with Alex, Meia would probably demote you for doing it with Kyle and I'm sure Dita wouldn't be too happy if you were pregnant with Hibiki's child."

Jura glanced at Eugene with a sensual smile, "Care to try it out, Eugene?"

Eugene closed his eyes to calm himself and told her, "Raising a child is not easy like it's portrayed as in movies, Jura. It's a serious commitment. Besides even if we did...do it, there isn't a 100% chance you would get pregnant the first time around. Another factor is there's a 50/50 chance the baby will be a girl. I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility. You should think about this hard." The alarm goes off as the Nirvana obtains the escape pod's coordinates.

The fighters head out and protect the Reg ship while it commences with the retrieval.

Gryphus 1 relayed the information he received from the Archangel, "There's a life form inside the pod, commander. It appears someone escaped from the Harvest. I recommend we recover the pod and get the hell out of here! My gut's telling me the enemy approaching us took from a different flagship and the main fleet has advanced longer than we thought."

BC replied, _"Good point."_

Hibiki approached the pod, "Here I am. I'll take care of it." The Reg ship's arms grab hold of the pod.

Gascogne grinned, "That's my line." She looked at her radar, "Perfect timing." The fighters head for the Nirvana when Catherine spots a cube-type aiming for the Reg ship.

She warned,_ "Gascogne, watch out!"_ The cube-type fires at the arms, destroying them.

Gascogne growled, "How did they get under us so easily?" Gryphus 1 engages the cube-types and readies the AMRAAM when they pull away in speeds never witnessed by the crew.

Barnette noticed it when her Dread took a hit, "They're a lot faster than the last bunch of cube-types!" Gryphus 1 activates Fenrir's Optical Camouflage, blending the aircraft with the background of space.

Still having the AMRAAM selected he waits for the missile lock to turn red, when it does he fires 4 missiles. One cube-type shoots the missiles down with improved firing rate taking Gryphus 1 by surprise.

'So it seems you guys are finally growing a CPU in those little bodies, huh?' He thought.

He enters gun range and fires the plane's machine guns at the cube-types the bullets cut through them like paper. Detecting MiG-29 Fulcrums, Gryphus 1 turns to his 5 o'clock and begins the dogfight with them. Out of the corner of his eye he spots a pair of cube-types grab hold of the pod and escape the battlefield.

Amarone informed, "Captain, the enemy has taken off with the escape pod!"

BC asked in surprise, "What? Do you mean they're not after us?"

Magno smirked, "Well, this is certainly an unexpected turn of events. If that pod is so important to Earth that they are willing to ignore us then we've got to get it back."

Hibiki said, "That pod's ours, we found it first! Give it back!" 4 cube-types surround him and attack the Vanguard until Meia does a pass-by and annihilates them with her Dread's laser cannons.

She suggested,_ "Hibiki we should combine now, it will help us out."_ They move in to fuse their machines together when a red beam comes out of nowhere and screams past them.

Hibiki gasped, "What's that red light?"

Meia instructed as she tried rebooting her Dread's systems,_ "The pod. You have to get the pod and return to the Nirvana now!"_

Hibiki nodded, "Right!" Gryphus 2 flies alongside Mia as they take on a swarm of MiG-31s.

Gryphus 2 fires his F-22's Vulcan Gatling cannon at a MiG-31 in front of him, downing it with ease before evading another MiG-31's cannon. Swinging around he arms the Sidewinder and fires it after the missile detects the fighter's heat signature, the heat-seeker hits the MiG-31's underbelly like a javelin. Hearing the radar warning Gryphus 2 stares at the HUD and spots a familiar signature closing fast.

A voice said, _"Missed me, boy?"_

Gryphus 2 creased his eyebrows, "Francesca. I had a feeling you'd be the one who planned this attack. Your desire to kill Gryphus 1 is as strong as ever."

Francesca grinned maliciously, _"Yes, it is. Where is he by the way? He never skips out of a fight."_

Gryphus 1 said, _"I was wondering when you'd show your face again, Francesca. Gryphus 2, help Mia out. Francesca is mine."_ A pair of AMRAAM missiles shoot down the cube-types that were secretly closing on Mia's 6 o'clock and flies through the conjoined fireball but the Optical Camouflage prevents it from being seen.

Gryphus 2 acknowledged, "Understood, sir. Be careful." He turns left to let his flight lead deal with the psychotic woman.

Crux finds himself being ambushed by a huge group of cube-types, pulling every maneuver he knows to avoid getting hit but these faster models have no problem keeping up. Seeing the enemies coming from all directions he releases an electromagnetic pulse that disables the cube-types and flies out of the swarm. Switching to the AMRAAM he gains the maximum 4 missile locks and sends the missiles on their way downing 4 cube-types and chains it with the Vulcan Gatling cannons bagging an additional 5 kills. However, there seemed to be no end to these guys as though they keep regenerating.

Tianlong Squadron fight side by side against the cube-types firing their planes' autocannon, the bullets form an X pattern trashing any Harvest unit that gets caught. They keep their moves tight and guarded any openings. However, Catherine and Mori feel that the squad was incomplete without Chang. Ignoring the agonizing pain his death brought, the two continue engaging the Harvest.

Jura finishes combining her Dread with Hibiki's Vanguard and secures the pod within Vandread Jura's shield.

The blonde-haired woman flicked her hair, "Ta-da! Am I good or what?"

Hibiki said, "Better late than never, I guess."

Jura brought her seat next to Hibiki's, a little too close and said, "Listen, Hibiki."

The Tarak teen asked in trepidation, "What do you want, Jura?"

Jura purred, "I wanna have a baby, will you give me what I need?" Hibiki's face turns red and starts sweating bullets.

He finally blurted out, "Look we're surrounded by the enemy! This isn't the place for that kind of talk!" Jura laughed at the young lad's embarrassment.

Meia ordered, _"Hibiki, Jura, return to the Nirvana. The enemy's in observation mode so we'll..."_ She stopped when a familiar light appeared out of the darkness, _"That light!"_ The unidentified enemy fires twin lasers at the Vandread's shield and causes it to defuse.

Amarone informed, "Vandread Jura defused!"

BC asked, "What did you say?"

Belvedere explained, "I'm not really sure, commander but when that beam hit Vandread Jura it caused it to defuse." Gryphus 1 enjoyed the frustration he is causing to Francesca she hadn't expected him to have a second fighter jet at his disposal. Plus the fact that Fenrir was cloaked made it more satisfying.

She growled, _"Damn you, fight me fair and square!"_

Gryphus 1 laughed rather hauntingly, "No, I like screwing with your mind. It makes me happy considering the fact that you fucked my life up." He fires Fenrir's machine guns at the X-2 Wyvern leaving holes in the plane's air frame. Couple more rounds or one missile and the Gryphus 1 would have the retribution he desired.

That chance is robbed from him as the damaged X-2 releases an electromagnetic pulse that disables Fenrir long enough for Francesca to exit the battlefield.

Francesca seethed, _"You caught me by surprise this time, Gryphus 1 but rest assured it won't happen again!"_ Gryphus 1 clenches the joystick tightly his prey escaped its fate just when it seemed victory was at hand. No matter her time will come soon enough.

After recovering from the attack, Hibiki searched the area, "The pod! Where is it?" His eyes spotted it in front of him, "There it is, I'm going after it." He begins to head for the target when cube-types box him in.

Dita flew in exclaiming, "Stop it!" She combines her blue Dread with the Vanguard to form Vandread Dita and secures the pod in its hand.

Hibiki grinned, "Alright!"

Dita said, "Mission accomplished. Are we good or what?"

Meia told them, _"There will be time for celebration later. Get back here at once."_

Dita saluted, "Roger!" Meia smiles at her friend's antics and then spots the enemy Harvest unit that fired those red lasers come into view.

It was shaped like a sting ray, had tentacle-like appendages and twin rows of sharp teeth.

It shoots lasers from its eyes and hits Vandread Dita. The normal shiny armor changes to a red color.

Dita said, "Mr. Alien, the right arm! It's just like..."

The nightmare or premonition they had flashed through Hibiki's mind, "Are you saying that's gonna come true?" Inside the helm, Bart feels every ruthless barrage the sting ray unit sent his way.

Bart grimaced, "It never hurt this much before I don't know how much longer I can stand it! Hey engineering, what the hell is going on down there?"

Parfet appeared on the monitor,_ "That's what I would like to know! The Paksis seems to effected by that red light almost like it's scared of it!"_

Pyoro hovered over, "Forbidden existence. Dangerous to approach but they call each other, almost chilling to imagine."

An engineer asked, "Parfet, what's wrong with him? It's almost like it is drunk."

Parfet answered, "I don't know but it's almost like a living thing. Can they be connected somehow?" The sting ray approaches Vandread Dita and the pilots, not interested of being harvested, attaches the laser cannon to the good arm and takes aim but the laser cannon turns red in response.

Hibiki wondered, "What's going here?"

Dita said, "We can't move!"

On the Nirvana's bridge Amarone said, "The main enemy is approaching Vandread Dita! It seems to be effected by that red light and is using all of its energy just to maintain its current form!" The sting ray wraps its tentacle-like appendages around Vandread Dita pulling it toward its open mouth.

Jura said in fear, "We're done for!"

As the Vandread neared the mouth, Hibiki glared at it, "Dreams are real when we're asleep but I am not sleeping and the fact is that I'll never let you pricks win! Never!" Hearing the pilot's defiant speech, Vandread Dita recovers its power and breaks free, driving the laser cannon into the sting ray's mouth and fires. The enemy unit explodes and for a moment Meia thought her friends were caught in the blast. Those fears were put to rest when she sees Vandread Dita flying towards the Nirvana with the pod in its hands.

Meia sighed in relief, "He's reckless but he gets it done."

Gryphus 2 shrugged, _"But that's what we love about him. He thinks outside the box."_

Inside the cockpit of the blue Vandread, Dita said, "We did it! I'm so happy! As long as we fight together, nothing can stop us. Right, Mr. Alien?"

Hibiki struggled to say, "I...uh...well..."

Dita blinked, "What was that? I didn't hear you."

Hibiki blushed, "Nothing." He looked away mumbling, "I still don't know what to talk about. Not a clue." Later that day, Parfet works to get the pod open.

She said, "Almost...there. Got it!" With a hiss of cold air the pod opens up revealing its occupant.

It was a girl in her early teens, had blue hair tied in a high ponytail, wore a sleeveless yellow white trimmed bodysuit, triangular earrings and had some kind of capsule in her hands.

Dita asked, "Is it an alien?"

Parfet shook her head, "I'm sorry, Dita she is every bit as human as we are."

The redhead said in disappointment, "I see." Hibiki hops up and down to see what was going on but the poor lad's short height made it difficult so he forces his way through.

The momentum sends him careening towards the pod and would have fallen in had he not caught himself in time.

The mysterious girl stares at him with red irises and some sort of blob hologram appears out of the left earring.

Hibiki asked, "What's that?"

The girl said, "It's you. You saved me! Thank you, my lord prince!" She hugs Hibiki.

Barnette started, "Lord..."

Jura finished, "...prince?"

This embrace caused a spark of jealousy in Dita, "Hey!"

Paiway wrote down notes in her little book, "Things are getting interesting. A red circle check for sure!"

'The crew continues to grow bigger.' Kyle thought sighing.

A/N: Chapter 1 of the second stage done.

Hibiki, Dita, Jura, Meia and Kyle shared a dream where they got destroyed by an unknown beam of light. They wondered if it some kind of message the Paksis sent them.

Kyle gave Eugene some advice on the dangers of using the same tactics constantly and so far hasn't found any information about what happened to Aurelia after Gryphus Squadron's disappearance.

Eugene told Jura that raising a child isn't easy and that she needs to think about it because he certainly isn't ready for that kind responsibility yet.

Kyle and Francesca had a rematch and Kyle used Fenrir's unique design to his advantage, causing immense frustration to Francesca. She barely escaped and only delayed the inevitable. Her time is coming.

Now before tells me, I have looked on the Ace Combat Wiki and there was hardly any information about Fenrir's weaponry save for the AMRAAM and machine guns. But it makes sense giving the fact its development was kept secret. Also the prototype that the Aurelian amphibious unit obtained didn't have the Optical Camouflage or the High-Power Microwave weapon it has when you face the actual ones in the final mission of the game.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 2.

Vader 23A


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Reason of the Harvest

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Kyle and Hibiki stand across each other in preparation for a spar.

Hibiki asked nervously, "Are you sure about this, Kyle?"

Kyle nodded, "Yes, Hibiki. You need to train yourself physically because you might have to face an enemy outside the confines of your Vanguard. Since the incident where Rabat tried to steal the Vanguard, I figured out that you lack fighting experience. It's a shame that someone of your talent was being wasted away in the factories producing Vanguard parts. What has the human race come to? I'll never understand your planet's way of thinking, kid. First class citizens live the luxury while the second and third class citizens scratch and claw their way at the bottom of the barrel." Hibiki remembers the incident with Rabat perfectly, he refused to admit it but his bark was worse than his bite. Had he charged at the trader, he would have ended up severely injured or worse.

His mind suddenly tells him to move back and he follows it, jumping away from the fist that would have connected with his face.

Kyle lectured, "First rule of fighting, Hibiki never take your eyes off an opponent." Throughout the course of the spar, Hibiki dodges every punch or kick Kyle throws at him unknown to the young lad Kyle was holding back. He's well aware that with his augmented strength Kyle could turn Hibiki into a messy decoration on the floor.

'Damn he's fast!' Hibiki thought as he witnessed the speed of his older brother figure's attacks.

After dodging the final attack, Kyle sighed, "Alright, Hibiki that's enough. What is your deal, man? You could have countered my attacks at any time."

Hibiki looked at him straight in the eyes, "Forgive me if I don't believe it. My gut was telling me you were trying to sucker me in. With your skills you'd mop the floor with me." Kyle's respect toward Hibiki grew after hearing the lad see through his deception.

Kyle smiled, "Well done, Hibiki. You just took another step into becoming a better person."

Hibiki cocked his head, "What do you mean?"

Kyle crossed his arms, "Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them all the time. The same thing goes while in combat, Hibiki. When you think you have your opponent beat, you fail to realize he's suckering you in and end your life when you least expect it. That is why you must be on guard during battle. It can change in an instant."

Hibiki asked, "In other words, looks can be deceiving?"

The Aurelian nodded, "That's correct. Keep this in mind and you'll live longer. It works both ways too. Deceiving your enemy can help you fool him into thinking he has the upper hand."

Hibiki said, "Perhaps I should wear that g-suit you gave me for Christmas last year. It'll help me combat the g forces I experience whenever I combine with Meia's Dread." Kyle didn't show it but he was genuinely surprised at Hibiki's admission of wearing the g-suit during combat.

He said in approval, "Excellent choice, Hibiki. I know there isn't gravity in space but the g forces you experience when performing maneuvers can be pretty brutal. Come, let's see if our guest is awake yet." After showering and changing into fresh clothes, well Hibiki's choice of attire was an extra pair of the attire he wears every day, they head for the infirmary.

They arrived in time to hear Duero say, "According to the pod's data log, her name is Misty Cornwell and she is 14 years of age."

'Cornwell?' Strange last name.' Kyle thought.

Paiway said through her frog puppet, "Fourteen plus the 63 years she spent in cold sleep which would make her 77, ribbit."

Duero smiled, "I stand corrected. Hm? She's regaining consciousness." The blue-haired teen slowly opens her eyes and takes in the crew staring at her.

The earring on her right ear glows yellow before that blob hologram appears.

Pyoro exclaimed, "Did you see that?"

Hearing the hologram's concern, Misty assured, "It's okay, Q-Chan. I'm fine." She sat up and shivered, "Brr, so cold!"

Duero placed a blanket on her and explained, "It's a side effect of the cryostasis, you still haven't fully recovered. The best thing for you to do is get some rest."

Misty looked at the doctor and said, "Hey, you're a really handsome guy!" Duero blinks in confusion from the compliment.

Bart asked, "Hey there. From what I hear, men and women live under the same roof. Is that true?" Gryphus Squadron sweat drops at the helmsman's question. Didn't he figure out yet that Gryphus and Tianlong Squadron come from Earth?

Misty replied, "That's the dumbest thing anyone has asked me. What are you, a moron?"

Bart said, "I was just curious." Alex places a hand over his mouth to muffle the snicker he was letting out.

Kyle placed a hand on the man's shoulder, "Cheer up, Bart."

Misty noticed the two men in front of her and asked Duero, "Who is he?"

Duero wondered, "Which he?"

The blue-haired girl clarified, "The one with the circlet on his face!"

Duero said, "Ah, you must mean Kyle Masterson."

Mist said, "Kyle Masterson? The Ghost of Aurelia? What a manly name!" The Aurelian looked at her, "I knew the moment our eyes met it would be love at first sight. The red string of fate!"

Kyle told her, "Hate to inform you, Misty but I'm taken already."

Disappointed she gazed at the Vanguard pilot, "Don't just stand there, Hibiki come sit next to me." Dita stands in front of Hibiki, stating that red is the color of bad aliens which meant the Harvesters. Misty glares at her with a tick mark.

She asked Duero, "That girl over there is she his girlfriend?"

Duero wondered, "Girlfriend? I'm sorry, I am not familiar with that term what do you mean?"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Seriously? You really don't know? Q-Chan, these people are definitely weird!"

Jura added, "It works both ways and from our point of view, you're very strange yourself."

The newcomer asked, "What kind of place have I ended up in?"

Kyle explained, _"_Excluding Tianlong and my fighter squadron, the people on this ship come from an environment where men and women live apart from each other. I'm not saying we're right and you're wrong, all I am saying is that you need to understand the situation we're in."

Misty mumbled, "Oh, boy." Dita sits in the dark cafeteria when Ezra hands her a cup of tea.

Dita said, "Can't believe the nerve of that girl! She barges in and acts like she owns the place!"

Ezra asked her, "If you woke up in an unfamiliar place after 63 years of suspended hibernation, wouldn't you be scared and confused?"

Dita replied, "Confused? Then how come the first she does is hug Mr. Alien? What's worse is that he didn't react the way he does with me."

The gentle bridge bunny smiled, "I guess that would be very shocking." Kyle stares at the sleeping blue-haired girl, what did she mean when she called him the Ghost of Aurelia? Was that what he's called from Misty's home world? If so then does that mean she had some information about Aurelia's fate?

'Probably not.' Kyle mentally reasoned with himself.

Hearing the door slide open, Kyle looks over his shoulder to see Magno and BC entering the infirmary.

Magno asked, "How's our guest doing, doctor?"

Duero replied, "Resting at the moment. She hasn't completely recovered from the cryostasis so for now, rest is the best machine."

BC held up the capsule she was holding, "Then I guess we'll have to decode this ourselves." Kyle exits the infirmary sensing there's no purpose of being there anymore.

Back at the cafeteria, Dita said, "I shouldn't have made that promise, Ezra. It's boring just waiting for him. I was better off chasing after me, you know?" Ezra was about to say something when an agonizing pain hits her stomach.

Dita asked in concern, "Ezra, what's wrong?"

Ezra said, "The baby."

The redhead wondered, "You...you mean it's time?" The brown-haired woman nods and Dita panics, putting an arm around her shoulder and helping Ezra to the infirmary.

Kyle wanders through the hallway the young man's mind going back to what Misty called him: The Ghost of Aurelia.

Was his reputation spreading through this universe? His gut was telling him that the girl had an important role but what exactly?

Looking ahead, he spots Dita helping Ezra walk.

He asked, "Is something wrong, Dita?"

Dita urged, "Help me get Ezra to the infirmary! She's going to have her baby!" Kyle helps the redhead and the three enter the closest elevator and presses the floor number that the infirmary's on. He then contacts Duero about the situation.

At the infirmary, Duero asked in surprise, "What? She's already gone into labor?" He grabbed the "Hello Baby" book and said, "Kyle can you give me a description of Ezra's condition? What kind of pain is she feeling?"

Kyle looked at the pregnant woman for a second before answering, "Oh for the love of God are you serious, doc? She's obviously in a lot of pain. It goes away for a second then comes back. Does that kind of pain description sound familiar? Anyway, we'll be over as soon as possible." Meanwhile, BC puts the capsule into a holder and waits after typing for the result.

BC asked, "Got anything, Pyoro?"

Pyoro read the message, "Access denied, the message is encrypted. In order to access it we need to know the password! Sorry, commander."

Paiway popped on the monitor, _"News flash, Ezra's baby is about to be born!"_ All of a sudden Pyoro acts funny then short circuits in a chain reaction, virtually all systems on the Nirvana shut down.

Belvedere informed,_ "The infection is spreading throughout the entire system! We have one minute until full contamination!"_ BC gasps at the blonde's announcement, she must have unexpectedly released a virus from the capsule.

The elevator Kyle, Ezra and Dita are in stops moving.

Kyle asked, "What's going on out there? Why did we stop? Can anyone hear me? Hello?"

Duero said, _"Calm down, Kyle. There has been an accident and all systems are down at the moment including the elevator you're in. What is the condition of the patient?"_

Kyle looked at Ezra, "Sweating, in a lot of pain and her breathing is coming in short breaths."

Magno said, "She's definitely gone into labor." Seeing Duero flipping through the pages, she informed the elevator occupants, "Listen up! If the elevator isn't fixed within the next few minutes, she'll have no choice but to give birth there!"

Dita wondered, _"What? Here in the elevator?"_

Duero objected, "That's ridiculous!"

Magno told him, "Without power we have no choice. I'm afraid that baby won't wait!" Inside the elevator Dita holds Ezra's hand in compassion.

She told the pregnant woman, "Don't worry, Ezra. I'm here for you and so Kyle. In a way, everyone is here for you."

Ezra smiled through the pain, "Thank you, Dita. You too, Kyle." With that Magno asks Duero to continue, the Tarak doctor looks at the elder woman for a second before asking Kyle the intervals between Ezra's contractions.

Dita informed, _"They're only a few seconds apart at best."_

Duero looked at the watch, "That's six contractions an hour." Magno and Paiway look at the doctor in comical displeasure and Magno was about to say something when the Nirvana is rocked by an explosion.

Magno asked, "What is it now?" Kyle, Ezra and Dita feel the vibrations in the elevator.

Kyle said, "Why now for fuck's sake?" The bridge bunnies stated that the sensors were down and didn't know the enemy was coming until the Nirvana was hit.

At her location, BC asked, "Gascogne, do you think you can divert power to the launch platform?"

The Reg leader gave her the thumbs-up, _"Leave it to us, commander you just focus on getting rid of that virus, okay?"_ Ending the transmission she ordered the stagehands, "Alright, girls put your back into it. This is your chance to get rid of all those extra calories. We need to give the launch platform every drop of juice we can deliver!" She grunts as she pushes a lever in while the stagehands use workout bikes and manually turn a gear knowing every minute can mean the difference between life and death.

Barnette asked, _"What happened, Gascogne? Why is it dark?"_

Gascogne replied, "Some kind of virus knocked nearly all of our systems so we diverted remaining power to the launch platform so you can take off. Your orders have been put through but you're on your own afterward." The Dread pilots slide down a tube that lands them inside their fighters.

Barnette takes off first, Gryphus and Tianlong Squadron follow suit a few seconds later.

Meia ordered, "All units, protect the Nirvana at all costs. We'll have no home to return to if it's destroyed."

Jura moaned, _"Damn it, I really wanted to see that baby being born!"_

Gryphus 2 said, _"Now's not the time for complaining, Jura the enemy is here. Let's take them down!"_ Gryphus and Tianlong Squadron split up to engage the enemy.

Crux lines up his E-3 Sentry II behind some cube-types and arms the AMRAAM, waiting for the missile locks. He's about to shoot when the missile warning goes off looking to his 5 o'clock he spots heat-seeking missiles rapidly approaching and pops flares to direct them away. Breaking off his attack on the cube-types, Crux identifies the new attackers as MiG-17s. Narrowing his eyes, the young man fires his plane's M61A1 Vulcan Gatling cannons causing the MiG-17s to avoid the 20mm bullets. Gathering together for a joint attack the MiGs dive at their target and ready their cannons but Crux releases an electromagnetic pulse temporarily disabling the enemy fighters. However, the pilot takes advantage of his disabled opponents and fires the AMRAAM downing all 4 targets.

Tianlong Squadron finishes downing targets of their own when the radar warning sounds gazing to the left, Catherine spots a group of S-32s closing in from 5 o'clock high. They engage the enemy fighters and over the course of the battle Tianlong Squadron realize the S-32s are using battle data from a familiar squadron.

'So, they're using battle data from the Alect Squadron I read about.' Mori thought.

Back inside the elevator, Kyle gritted his teeth, "Why must the enemy attack us now of all times? They're getting more aggressive in their attacks."

Dita said to him, "That's not important right now, Kyle! We need to take care of Ezra!"

Kyle sighed, "You're right but how, Dita? The elevator has not moved for the past...five minutes, I think." Ezra let out a painful shriek and the Aurelian pilot said, "We need help here!"

Seeing Duero flip through the pages, Magno asked, "How long are you going to sit there? Hurry up and tell them what to do next!"

Duero explained, "But I don't know what widening of the birth canal means. I haven't studied enough to..."

Magno sighed, "Okay, I get the picture. You know, doctor at times like these experience and common sense are better than mere logic!"

Duero started, "But..."

Magno smiled, "You just leave the rest to me." She then contacted the elevator occupants, "Ezra, can you hear me? Don't push just yet! Use shallow breaths, it helps lesson the pain." Out in space, 2 modified Seed Ships appear and fire grappling hooks into the Nirvana's wings. The pilots instantly discover what the enemy's intentions are.

Gryphus 2 ordered, "Oh, no you don't. All units focus fire on the Seed Ships, we can't let the enemy take our home away!" Archangel hears the request and aims her 16" guns at the Seed Ships.

Her armor-piercing shells impact the targets and one more round strikes them with enough force to stagger them, the pilots take advantage of it shooting their lasers at the grappling hooks until they snap. With the Nirvana free again, Archangel finishes the Seed Ships off with cruise missiles.

Catherine taunted, "That will teach you not to steal our home, you fucks!" The explosion sends Kyle, Dita and Ezra thrashing around inside the elevator.

After recovering Dita called out, "Ezra!" She spots Kyle using his body as a shield to protect the pregnant woman. She winces and Kyle looks down.

Kyle said, "Houston, we have a problem."

Duero asked, _"What's wrong, Kyle?"_

Kyle stated, "Water, that's what!"

Magno said, _"That's normal. Her water's broken."_

Duero explained, _"It's called amniotic fluid. It protects the baby inside the womb and acts as a lubricant to help it come out of the birth canal more easily. It's part of the birthing process."_

Kyle deadpanned, "Tell me something I don't know." Back to the battle happening outside some of the pilots were growing annoyed by the enemy's persistence.

Gryphus 2 said, "Will you guys fuck off already? Man! Crux, form up at my side I just had a gut feeling that the enemy's about to use stealth fighters! We need to head out!" The two fire up the afterburners and scream toward the area when they suddenly spot streaks of light flying past them.

Upon closer inspection Alex recognized what they were, "Those are Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles. But it'd be foolish to destroy the Nirvana because it's too important. Unless...oh no. Crux, we need to turn around! They're targeting the Archangel!" The airplanes turn hard right and chase after the missiles. They soon catch up to them and arm their special weapons.

The missile lock struggles to track the anti-ship missiles and finally turned red and Gryphus 2 exclaimed, "Awesome. Gryphus 2, Fox Three!" He pulls the trigger and 4 XLAAMs are released joining a similar number of AMRAAMs and intercept the anti-ship missiles. However, they can't shoot them all down because the survivors continue their journey but they are intercepted by the Archangel's SAMs.

The enemy squadron responsible for those missiles turned out to be F-35 stealth multi-role fighters.

Crux called out, "Crux, Fox Three!" He fires the advanced medium-range air-to-air missile at 4 targets while Gryphus 2 readies another round of XLAAMs.

Inside the stuck elevator, Ezra continues to moan in pain.

Kyle said, "Magno, what now?"

Magno asked, _"The baby's on its way. Which one of you is closest to her legs?"_

The Aurelian said, "I am."

Magno instructed, _"Then you're elected. Open her legs and when the baby's head appears, pull it out gently."_

Kyle asked, "Say what?"

Dita said, "Please, Kyle! Ezra needs our help!" Kyle mumbled to himself about not going to like this.

He opens her legs and removes his shirt to act as a blanket to wrap the baby in.

He asked, "Okay, I'm in position. Now what?"

Magno said, _"Ezra, don't use shallow breaths anymore. On the count of three push with all your might. Ready? One, two, three, push!"_ Ezra follows the captain's instruction and pushes trying to ignore the waves of pain surging through her nerves.

Kyle saw the infant's head, "I see the head, captain. What next?"

The old woman said, _"This is the point of delivery, reach under the baby's head and support it."_ In his mind, Kyle couldn't believe he was acting as the midwife during birth.

Ezra cried, "I'm scared."

Dita assured, "It's okay, Ezra. Everyone has been waiting for this moment. There's no need to be afraid."

Ezra somehow smiled, "Thank you, Dita." While this was going on, Duero closes the Hello Baby book.

Magno noticed it and said, "Doctor, don't tell me you had a change of heart?"

Duero admitted, "I finally realized you were right, captain. Some answers can't be found in a text book." Magno smiled at his admission.

With one final push, Ezra's baby enters the world.

Kyle wipes off the blood and amniotic fluid off the newborn as it takes its first breath, the infant's cry restores the Nirvana's systems including the power grid.

Out in space the fighters finish mopping up any stragglers, Gryphus 2's hands shake from the adrenaline running through his veins. It takes him a few minutes to calm down and returns to the Nirvana with the others.

Sighing that the danger has passed Kyle hands the baby to Ezra.

He chuckled, "Ironic. A baby's voice saved us from being harvested. Congratulations, Ezra you have a beautiful girl."

Ezra smiled warmly, "What do you know, she's already asleep." Dita looks on with happiness.

Kyle turned his back to them saying, "A mother's touch does have that effect on her child." Dita and Ezra could hear the sadness in his voice. They suspected the sight of Ezra's child reminded Kyle of his family.

Parfet said over the PA, _"Sorry to keep you waiting. We're starting up the elevator again."_ Suddenly the emergency breaks snap, sending the elevator into free fall lifting the occupants off the floor.

Kyle exclaimed, "Parfet! I prefer being in one piece!" A second later, they feel the elevator stop in its free fall.

Pyoro vowed, "I won't allow you to die! I will protect Pyoro 2!"

'Pyoro 2?' Kyle thought.

The white robot lifts the elevator up to a floor and stops allowing Kyle to use his augmented strength to open the doors. Jumping out he holds out his hands for the occupants. He helps Dita out first then Ezra making sure to be cautious about the baby.

Later that day, Parfet's able to decode the capsule. It contains a video and Magno orders it to be played.

In the video was a male and female scientist that was likely his assist. The female had a similar appearance to Misty and could have been her mother but it's hard to know for sure because of the dim lighting.

The male said, _"I'm sorry for any inconvenience you might have experienced as a result of our precautions but we chose an infant's voice as the password because we felt the sound of a baby was a true sign of humanity. For those who received this message I hope you are thriving healthy and prosperous as mankind was truly meant to. Ever since you left your homeland on Earth, it has suffered catastrophic changes! You probably haven't heard of this but after the war with the Democratic Republic of Leasath, the Federal Republic of Aurelia entered a decade of peace thanks to the efforts by Gryphus Squadron, more importantly the actions of the Southern Cross. During that time of peace, it rebuilt cities that were destroyed by the Aurelian War and Leasath elected a new leader that promised there would be no more conflict between the two countries. Despite the unexpected disappearance of Gryphus Squadron one year after the war, Aurelia continued to prosper but in the year 2031 a series of events began to send the country into financial chaos. Leasath pitched in to help stabilize Aurelia's economy but the events were spiraling out of control. The country used the last of its resources to help Leasath and its allies initiate a program that would eventually be called the Colonization Era. A century later, after we bid farewell to the last of your frontier ships, mankind began to descend into madness leaving the path of prosperity behind. As you probably know, human genetic distribution has reached a critical low. In other words for those on Earth, human evolution is now impossible. So some of us had to leave to avoid the trap of evolutionary stagnation. To ensure mankind's continued existence but now..."_

The female scientist showed the crew a picture, _"Take a look at this. This is what your beautiful home world now looks like. The once blue atmosphere is hidden by a hideous web of machinery in which the Earth's moon was forced out of orbit. As a result the Earth experienced a catastrophic change in its gravitational field and in its present atmosphere storms rage continuously! The surface is like a giant acid filled washing machine! What Earthlings that remain have created cities within these gears and hold on for dear life."_

Alex whispered, "Fuck me."

The male scientist took over, _"When you left people initially thought you were mankind's greatest hope for survival but this faded over time and the people on the stagnant Earth started to believe they were the last true humans. In doing so, justified the means of self-preservation. However, the gene pool was so exhausted that attempts of cloning led to disastrous results. So with the same justification they claimed the right to harvest the organs of others like yours and use them for their own self-preservation."_

Magno said, "So that's what the harvest is about. How revolting!"

The scientist shook his head in sadness, _"I don't know why this madness overcame the humans on Earth but they used the last of the original Paksis to create a fleet of automatic, unmanned harvesters to hunt you down throughout the universe and harvest every last one of you with no remorse!"_ This news shocked Meia, Hibiki, Dita and Jura.

The female scientist requested, _"It's clear the people of Earth have made a terrible mistake. It's because of this I am sending our messenger to give you this. I may never meet you, you who are watching this video but I ask you to help restore mankind's self-respect and dignity and to protect the circle of life. There's nothing more we can do on our end so we leave the rest to you. Don't let the flame of life go out!_" The video ends after that.

BC mumbled, "To protect the circle of life."

Magno said, "We heard their message and now must fulfill their wish. For humanity and a future where every child can grow up smiling!" At the infirmary, Dita watches Ezra's baby as it sleeps next to Ezra who was recovering from the exhausting ordeal.

Dita cried, "Awe, what a cutie! What should we name her?"

Pyoro said, "Pyoro 2."

Ezra giggled, "Silly Pyoro, that's not her name."

Pyoro waved his arms angrily, "This was already decided!" A metallic hand bonks off the white robot's head, sending Pyoro face first into the floor. He groans in pain.

Kyle said, "Ezra's baby is a human, Pyoro not a machine. How does the name Sara sound?"

Ezra thought about it and smiled, "I like it. From now on her name is Sara in memory of your second sister, Kyle."

Kyle nodded, "Thank you, Ezra." Hearing footsteps he turned around to spot the blue-haired teen, "Hello, Misty. Are you feeling well?"

Misty smiled, "I'm okay. I heard about what happened in the elevator you kept your cool and helped deliver Ezra's baby."

The Aurelian waved it off, "Ah, nothing I couldn't handle. By the way, Misty when you woke up and saw my face you called me The Ghost of Aurelia. Why is that?"

Misty looked at the ceiling in thought, "My mother told me stories about a fighter pilot who came out of nowhere, brought vengeance down on his opponents then disappeared like he wasn't there in the first place."

'So my reputation is spreading through the universe.' Kyle mentally confirmed.

Misty noticed Kyle's contemplative face, "You okay?"

Kyle answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you hungry? If you want I can lead you to the cafeteria." Receiving a nod from the girl, Kyle leads her to the cafeteria like he promised.

He eventually retires to Meia's bedroom for the night.

The two lay in the bed and hold each other.

Kyle said, "What an exciting day this has been. First Misty spent 63 years in cold sleep and was holding a message that revealed what became of Earth and Aurelia. However, I think this is only a piece of the puzzle for the latter. God, it's so frustrating! Does fate love toying with me? If so, I don't find it funny. I need to know what happened to my country!"

Meia hugged him, "You will, Kyle. Just be patient, the answer will come." She kisses him afterward.

Kyle closed his eyes, "I guess you're right, Meia."

A/N: Chapter 2 done.

Kyle gave Hibiki a little crash course about deception and its dangers.

It appears Misty's heard of Kyle.

A virus caused nearly all of the Nirvana's systems to shut down, the Harvesters tried to take advantage of the situation but the Nirvana fighters were able to fend them off.

Lastly they received a video about the fate of Earth and a clue about Aurelia's fate after Gryphus Squadron's disappearance.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 3.

Vader 23A


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Resolve

I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

It's been 3 days since the Nirvana crew landed on an unnamed planet not only are the inhabitants infected but every living thing on it is diseased! Duero suspected this was an ecological experiment conducted by Earth. The crew had employed heavy duty protection to avoid contracting the disease but the people of the planet are doomed the moment they come into contact with the polluted air, land and groundwater. The patients Duero sees were skin and bones and what treatment he gave them would only be considered temporary relief. He chose his words carefully around them but when he looked out the window Duero felt nothing but rage at what Earth was doing to these people!

Paiway used her frog puppet to cheer the kids up.

On a nearby hill, Alex and Mia look at the gray horizon as if the sky was reflecting the depression the inhabitants were feeling. Kyle was initially with them but the sight of all these people being eaten alive by the disease was too much for the pilot for it reminded him of the pain the survivors of the bombing raid on Aurelia felt.

Alex said, "There ain't no justice in this. This harvest operation has no good intentions whatsoever, Mia. Ensuring the survival of mankind? To me it's absolutely bullshit! Seeing these people suffer and knowing there is no cure for the disease is heartbreaking."

Mia nodded, "I agree with you, Alex. The Harvesters are evil, plain and simple. This is messed up on many levels! How can they do this to their descendants?!" Barely audible sobs reach the young woman's ears, turning her neck she spots Alex shedding tears of sadness.

He stated, "It's not...it's not...it's not fair. Why do these people have to suffer while the Earth lives on although by a thread? This sucks!" His sobs become louder and Mia pulls him into a hug, rubbing Alex's back as he cries harder.

Down on the ground, an old man picks up a wooden doll from a newly deceased person feeling sadness consume him. He lost count on how many perished.

Magno said, "Well, let's return them to the soil."

The old man explained with a sad frown on his face, "We can't. These caskets are collected by Earth." He directed their attention to the huge dome structure, "We must load them onto that contraption over there which are then transported to the mountaintop. After a while they are collected by a large cargo ship that comes by every so often."

Magno muttered, "Barbaric." Since they can't bury their dead, the people spend their entire lives. These dolls serve as proof that they once lived on this planet they are placed inside a large shrine. They believe this is where the soul resided after it leaves the body. Living a life of pain and suffering, the fire of those souls are never passed down to future generations.

Barnette stares at the doll filled shrine with two engineers, the young woman clenches her fists tears run down her cheeks as she struggles to imagine what kind of suffering these people endure day in and day out.

Back on the hill, Alex freed his face and said, "Harvesters. You heartless bastards think you're God or something, huh? Do you have any idea what kind of pain the inhabitants of this planet are experiencing? They will never get the chance to live the life they want to. They will never give birth to healthy babies and watch them grow up knowing the disease eats them from the inside. These people deserve better! You will pay. YOU WILL PAY!" His scream echoes through the air.

Elsewhere, Parfet and her fellow engineers she brought are building a dispensary machine they hope will purify the planet of its current state by use a fragment of the Paksis.

Parfet said, "No good, I guess we'll have to terraform this things from scratch!" She contacted Vandread Jura, "How are things on your end?"

Hibiki answered, _"We're inside the planet's atmosphere."_

Parfet instructed, "Get ready to experiment a little. Hold your positions."

The Vanguard pilot replied, _"You got it."_ Jura finishes painting her nails purple blowing on them to make the nail paint dry faster.

Jura asked, "You know what?"

Hibiki looked at her, "What?"

The blonde-haired woman said, "In case you haven't noticed we're alone now."

Hibiki asked, "What does that mean?"

Jura gave him a sensual look, "No matter what happens in here, we are the only ones who know."

Hibiki figured out what she was talking about and deadpanned, "Are you still going on about making a baby with a man's seed? Didn't Eugene tell you not to take it lightly?"

Misty popped up on the monitor, _"Hey old woman, what do you think you're doing?"_

Jura glared at her with a tick mark, "Who are you calling an old woman?"

Dita joined Misty on the screen, _"Are you okay, Mr. Alien? Is she doing anything weird to you?"_

Jura cupped Hibiki's cheek, "What do you mean by anything weird? You mean this?" She teases them with trying to land kisses on Hibiki.

The young lad freed his face and demanded, "That is enough!" Inside the planet's infirmary, Bart was telling Shirley one of his adventure stories he. It didn't matter if the stores were make-believe it made the girl laugh and smile.

Shirley was a young girl around 8 or 9 years old, had long blonde hair and amber eyes. Like the others she contracted the disease at birth.

Bart said, "And then, boom the male ship and female ship fused together and those strange aliens began attacking the ship. That was my cue to turn the situation around."

Shirley asked, "How did you do it?"

The helmsman chuckled, "It was a plan that I alone could think of, we executed a space jump. Shirley do you know what a space jump feels like?"

Shirley asked fearfully, "Is it painful?"

Bart answered, "No, you're totally surprised!"

The bed-ridden girl blinked and then laughed, "Sounds scary."

Bart chuckled, "Well, to you it would be." From the doorway, Gascogne, Barnette and Pyoro look on. The dark-green haired woman begins to understand what it's like to be terminally ill.

Gascogne said, "When someone lies that audaciously, I don't feel like scolding them."

Barnette replied, "I feel sorry for her, though." The Reg leader gave her a confused look and Barnette said in a sad tone, "That girl. I heard she's been in this quarantine ward ever since the moment she was born."

Gascogne looked at the group sympathetically, "I guess letting her hear a tall tale is the least we can do." Later that day Duero sent a request to replenish their supplies and Paiway asks him if people will feel better afterward stating that she felt bad for them.

Bart came in proposing, "Hey doc, this idea came to me. What if we took all these poor people back to Tarak with us."

Duero informed, "That's a nice idea but unfortunately we don't have enough supplies. Also a long trip like that will tap every ounce of strength they have in their bodies." Bart exits the infirmary, his proposal crushed.

That night he sits outside a tent, using a flashlight to read books about medicine and the human anatomy. Unknown to him Magno looks on with a smile.

On the Nirvana, Kyle sits in the cafeteria which was starting to become one of his favorite spots on the ship whenever he needs to think.

Seeing what the Harvesters are doing to these poor people fueled his hatred for Earth.

'Changing this planet's environment to its current state is unforgivable! You fools will pay for what you're doing. The universe would be better off without you!' Kyle thought as his eyes became red and those glowing vein marks appeared for a moment before Kyle collected himself and deactivated Onryo Mode before it consumed him.

Footsteps alert Kyle that someone's approaching him, gazing up he sees Meia looking at him with concern.

She asked, "Are you okay, Kyle?"

The Aurelian said, "No, I'm angry!"

Meia took a seat next to him, "I know you hate this war but you can't let it get to you."

Kyle looked at her, "Really? I shouldn't let what Earth's doing get to me? Ever since that video those scientists sent us, it amplified my anger towards Earth."

Meia said, "That's not what I meant. This is the planet you were born on and to hear you say you hate your home planet is rather cold."

Kyle's gaze turned more menacing, "Is that so? Ha ha ha ha! The Earth I lived on died 800 years ago, Meia! It's nothing more than a shadow of its former self. A twisted, perverted shadow of its former self I might add. Perhaps it'd be better if the Earth permanently died. By that I mean if the humans living on that acid hunk of rock perished, they are not part of mankind. Only people thriving on planets should be considered part of mankind." His eyes gained a psychotic gleam, "Maybe I should be the one who leads the charge in purging the Earth of its corrupted inhabitants. Yes, I alone should be the one who carried out the deed! Some call it genocide I see it as saving the people who live through respect of others."

'Is the Onryo Mode beginning to infect him more?' Meia thought in fear of losing the man she loved.

Then as if a switch was flipped on Kyle's gaze returned to normal, "Got something else on your mind?"

Regaining her composure Meia asked, "What was Earth like beforehand?"

Kyle clarified, "You mean before all of this shit happened? I suppose I can tell ya. It was a blue orb when seen from space with continents, clouds, polar ice caps and water. It had rain forests with trees growing to tens or hundreds of feet into the air, breath taking scenery and complex life forms crawling on the surface. However, humans were causing environmental damage to it such as cutting down forests and increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere making the planet warmer. None of that matters now since Earth's no longer like that." A monitor shows Misty and Dita Vandread Jura deploying its enveloping shield.

Misty said, "This the fifth time already."

Dita asked, "Mr. Alien, are you alright? Are you in any pain?"

Hibiki popped up on the monitor, _"You gotta be kidding. This is nothing!"_

Jura fell onto his shoulder, _"I can't take much more."_

A tick mark formed on Misty's face, "What does that old hag think she's doing?"

Dita frowned sadly, "Poor Mr. Alien." Meia, Kyle and BC stare out the window on the bridge.

Meia asked, "Do you think those two will be okay?"

BC asked from her control console, "What do you mean?"

The Dread leader said, "It may not look much but they have been holding up for quite a while."

BC stated, "According to Parfet's report it depends on their willpower as well as the condition of the Paksis."

Meia cried, "The Paksis, huh? What I heard is that the Paksis' data was destroyed on purpose in order to create the current environment. Recently I have been wondering what this stuff really is."

BC smiled, "I understand what you mean. I believed it to be the ideal energy source but now I have a feeling it has a life of its own." The next day Bart knocks on the doorway of Shirley's room.

He saw her put something away and playfully glared at her, "Shirley were you trying to hide something?"

The girl shook her head, "No, I wasn't. Good morning."

Bart sat at her bedside, "There's no need to be so nervous we're friends now, right?"

Shirley blushed, "I guess you're right but don't laugh at what I show you." She pulls the covers down to show Bart a doll version of him.

Bart said, "Hey, he looks like me!"

Shirley smiled, "I'm not very good at making dolls so I was embarrassed to show you. Do you like it?"

Bart chuckled, "Of course. But you know what he has no hair on him."

Shirley said, "Don't worry, I planned on sowing it on today."

The helmsman told her, "Make sure you make him as good-looking as me and I'll do anything for you."

Shirley smiled, "Really?"

Bart nodded, "Yeah." He bowed, "Just say the word and I, your humble servant Bart will make it happen."

The blonde-haired girl said, "Hm, let me think." She looked out the window, "I dreamed of climbing to the top of that structure and see as far as I could. The only thing I see through this window is a really sad gray sky."

Bart stated, "Okay, I'll do it!"

Shirley beamed, "Really?"

The helmsman said, "Yeah. You gotta promise me that you get better, okay? Hope you get to finish the doll."

Shirley smiled, "Don't worry, I was planning on finishing it today. See?" She suddenly began coughing, "I'm...okay."

Her coughing got worse and Bart ordered, "Duero, come quick!" Outside the infirmary, Parfet finishes the dispensary machine and powers it up.

The machine fires a small piece of the Paksis into the air and explodes into tiny specks of light with the women hoping it would purify the atmosphere.

Parfet said, "Please work." Duero hooks Shirley up to the life-support and places an oxygen mask on her mouth.

Duero stated, "The patient has stabilized for now."

Bart asked, "What do mean for now?"

The doctor informed, "I might be able to prolong her life but the fact remains she's been contaminated at birth."

Bart insisted, "Then allow me to help. Take whatever body part you need. If it'll allow..."

Duero said, "Bart, stop! It's not that kind of problem, please understand."

Bart looked at Shirley, "This girl, she would listen to my stories and never get bored. This is the first time anyone listened." He balled his fists, "Shirley. We just became friends!"

Barnette ran into the infirmary, "Doctor, come quick!"

Duero stepped out of the drape, "What's wrong?"

Gascogne walked into the infirmary holding a woman, "She collapsed on her way here."

Duero rolled up his sleeves, "Put her on the examination table." The Reg leader did so and Duero ran a miniature scanner over her stomach, "She's pregnant and it's almost time."

Gascogne crossed her arms, "It doesn't matter who it is, everyone of them is sick."

Duero said, "You're right. It's hard to find someone who isn't. I have been formulating a theory about this. If they can avoid contamination at the moment of birth, they'll able to avoid contracting the disease for life." Outside the dispensary machine smokes after one use.

An engineer said, "Nothing has changed."

Parfet sighed, "We're really trying to change the entire planet, aren't we?"

Gascogne said, "Perhaps we were fooling ourselves. If we had this kind of technology I'm sure the problems on Mejale would have been solved a long time ago."

Barnette asked, "Do you think it's possible to quarantine the hospital?"

Parfet asked her, "What for?"

Barnette told Parfet, "There's a baby about to be born! The doctor believes the people are contaminated at birth is because they come into contact with the planet's atmosphere."

The lead engineer said, "So all we have to do is make sure they don't come into contact with the planet."

Pyoro stated, "But we don't have enough Paksis."

Parfet bolstered, "We'll use what we got! Alright, people it's time to work!" Above the planet, Vandread Jura remained in its position.

Hibiki fell over in his seat, "I can't take much more of this." He felt Jura's breasts land on his head and pushed her up, "What's your problem today?"

Jura whined, "I'm so exhausted!"

Hibiki said, "I know. Alright, let's..." The Vandread's holographic radar pops up and shows them enemy signatures.

The enemy unit appears out of the blackness of space revealing itself to be a cargo ship similar to the one at Anpathos.

Hibiki gasped, "The enemy's here!"

Jura added, "Perfect timing as usual. You guys are so annoying."

Hibiki rolled up his sleeves with a grin, "About time for some action. I was dying of boredom."

BC contacted them, _"Hibiki, Jura, maintain your position. Do not engage the enemy."_

Hibiki slumped over, "You're kidding me." Inside Shirley's room, Bart looks at the sleeping girl until he hears Barnette and Gascogne enter.

Barnette said, "Bart, the enemy's here. We gotta go."

Seeing the conflicted look on his face, Gascogne said sympathetically, "I know how much you want to stay here but without you, the ship doesn't go anywhere."

'Shirley.' Bart thought.

Barnette said more urgently, "Come on, Bart!" She's about to pull him out when Gascogne places a hand on the dark-green haired woman's shoulder, shaking her head.

Bart stood up, "Shirley, I'll protect you with my life." He looked at the two women, "Let's go!" Barnette and Gascogne nod and they head out while the Dreads, Tianlong and Gryphus Squadron exit the Nirvana to face the oncoming threat.

Meia said, "Dita until Barnette returns I'm leaving you in charge of B team, can you do that?"

Dita nodded, _"Mr. Alien can't help us right now, I'll do my best until then!"_

Meia smiled, "Roger that." Her face became serious after that, "All units, form up. Let's show them what we're made of!" Fenrir's radar picks up an enemy formation composed of Su-27 Flankers, MiG-17s and MiG-29 Fulcrums.

Pulling Fenrir behind 4 Fulcrums, Gryphus 1 readies the ARAAM and gains the missile lock, firing them without hesitation. The missiles down the targets and Gryphus 1 searches for more enemies.

Catherine weaves her J-10 through gunfire and splashes a cube-type with missiles and coordinates with Mori to mow down a bunch of MiG-21s. Mori aims her autocannon at her next target and fires but then gets a surprise, the bullets simply bounce off the fighter's body. Thinking her imagination's playing tricks on her, Mori fires the autocannon again but the same result happens.

Gryphus Squadron notice it as well.

Crux struggles shaking off a pair of cube-types and releases an electromagnetic pulse to disable the enemy vessels and turns around, turning the cube-types into scrap metal with its M61A1 Vulcan Gatling cannons.

On the examination table, the pregnant woman lets out moans of pain.

Paiway shouted, "Doctor!" Duero attended to another patient when the young nurse called his name

Looking over his shoulder and instructed, "The baby won't be born yet. Start timing the intervals between contractions." He contacted Parfet, "How's everything on your end?" Parfet oversees the construction of a bed surrounded by a conical structure that would protect the occupant from the polluted atmosphere.

She said, _"Everything's okay on our end. We don't have time to test it so we'll hope for the best."_ The Nirvana fighters continued battling the Harvesters above the planet.

After downing some cube-types, Meia ordered, "All units, go for the main unit." They aim their guns at the cargo ship but then 4 cube-types combine to form a shield, deflecting the laser rounds from the cargo ship.

Mori said, "Tell me I did not just see that." They repeat the attack but the same thing happens.

Meia gritted her teeth, "They're getting smarter." Hibiki watched the battle from the cockpit of Vandread Jura.

Hibiki stated, "Come on, fight harder!" He felt Jura's head on his shoulder, "Would you quit fooling around?"

Jura admitted, "It appears I've reached my limit." The red Vandread shook under enemy fire and one damaged cube-type falls through Vandread Jura's weakened shield and crashes near the infirmary.

Shirley hears the noise and opens her eyes, realizing the unfinished Bart doll she reaches for it when her vision starts becoming blurry and pulls the cloth the doll's on with her last bit of strength.

An alarm sounds for Duero and Paiway.

Duero stared at the monitor, "That's from Shirley's room! Paiway, contact the captain. She will know how to deliver the baby!" The enemy cargo ship uses its vacuum effect to try sucking Dita's Dread in but a volley of missiles from Fenrir cancels the effect saving Dita.

Gryphus 1 stated, "Calm down, Dita. If you let yourself get caught up in that you'll get sucked in." Another missile volley impacts the cargo ship, a pink Dread and Reg delivery ship appear on the battle.

Barnette said, "Sorry to keep you guys waiting."

Gascogne added, "Hey there, do you now understand what it means to work behind the scenes?"

Gryphus 1 alerted, _"Watch out, Barnette enemy fighters are closing in at 5 o'clock low!"_ They head at that direction, Barnette spots MiG-29 Fulcrums and turns her Dread towards them.

She downs a couple of the MiG-29s with her Dread's missiles before 30mm bullets fly past her canopy, looking over her shoulder Barnette sees the remaining Fulcrums aiming their 30mm cannons at her. The dark green-haired woman pulls evasive maneuvers but the enemy fighters match her every move even come close to scoring a missile hit. Barnette tries shaking another missile fired at her and out of the corner of her eye, she spots Fenrir coming towards her. A blinding light appears obstructing the view of others when it dies down a new robot takes its place.

It was colored red with a charcoal gray trim, its right arm was a Gatling gun while the left was a normal hand with a high-powered rifle, the shoulders and legs had missile launch ports in them and had an aura of power and justice around it.

Gryphus 1 looks down to see Barnette sitting on his lap very similar to the way Dita and Hibiki are in the cockpit of Vandread Dita, Barnette comes to and takes in her surroundings then notices a pair of hands over her own.

Barnette said, "What the..."

Gryphus 1 interjected, "This is an unexpected surprise. I never imagined my fighter jet could combine with your Dread seeing that it wasn't effected by the Paksis."

The dark green-haired woman said, "Listen, Gryphus 1. I'm...sorry about the riot and putting you and other men in the brig."

Gryphus 1 replied, "It's okay, Barnette just don't jump to conclusions." Barnette strangely feels better at Kyle's forgiveness.

Barnette grinned, "Why don't we give our machine...Ma'at a test drive?" Nodding Gryphus 1 and Barnette press down on the control spheres which cause Ma'at's cyan eyes to light up and fire up its boosters.

The surviving MiG-29s foolishly close in to fire their cannons but are quickly shot down by the newly born machine's high-powered rifle, the bullets slice through the Fulcrums' air frame with ease before they explode. Looking slightly up Ma'at arms its shoulder missiles, multiple missile locks appear on the cockpit's screen and once they turn red, Barnette and Gryphus 1 pull the trigger. The missiles head for their targets mowing the MiG-29s down with pinpoint accuracy. Turning around Ma'at fires its Gatling gun on the cube-types that were sneaking up behind it. A giant swarm of MiG-17s, MiG-21s, MiG-31 and Su-27s are rapidly approaching from their 12 o'clock high. Both pilots grin at this preparing to unleash hell on this swarm. The control spheres flash bright green for a second before returning to the normal cyan color.

Ma'at's eyes glow an almost blinding shade of blue and all of its missile ports open, Gatling gun and rifle taking aim too.

Gryphus 1 said, "Hasta la vista, baby." Pulling the trigger Ma'at fires its entire arsenal at the enemy, lighting up the blackness of space like a firework celebration on the fourth of July. The resulting shock waves destroy any survivors.

The Nirvana fighters stare in awe of the machine's destructive firepower.

Gryphus 2 said, "Holy shit!"

Crux cried, "You can say that again."

Mia said, "Okay, holy shit!" When the last of the enemy fighters disappear from radar, Ma'at stops firing, its weapons smoking.

Barnette stared at the monitor showing the ammunition, "That used up all of the...wait a minute. What's this? The ammo. It's being replenished! How is that possible?"

Gryphus 1 said, "Must be the Paksis' doing. Who knows what else it could do."

Jura said, _"Guys, we got company!"_

Hibiki growled at the sight of more cube-types, _"You don't know when to quit!"_

Bart said with confidence, _"I'm not gonna let those bastards come any closer! No matter what happens I'm not budging an inch!_" Jura and Hibiki look at each other in surprise.

Hibiki asked her, "Is it me or has he suddenly changed?"

Bart continued, _"To you scrap heaps we're nothing more than cattle to you! These people live their lives the best they can and you don't care as long as you get your way. Shirley, you must stay strong and never give up. Never give up. I promise I won't let those things get you!"_ The Nirvana undergoes a transformation with the top of the ship and wings open to unveil missile launch ports.

Misty asked, "What is that?"

Bart yelled, _"GET AWAY FROM THIS PLANET!"_ The Nirvana fires its homing lasers.

Hibiki said, "You idiot! We're out here, you know!" The fighters brace for impact but the lasers loop around the Dreads and impact the cube-types.

Jura stated, "Amazing!"

Hibiki smirked, "He showed what it means to be a man." That night on the planet's surface, the baby is born inside the containment area.

Paiway stated happily, "It's alright! The baby is healthy! It really worked!"

Parfet added, "The containment field is stable!"

The old man approached them, "Thank you so much. I can't even begin to express my gratitude."

Parfet said in regret, "Don't mention it, it's just I wanted to purify the entire planet but this is all we could do for now."

The old man shook his head, "No, what you've done is more than enough! Your efforts here mean more to us than you can possibly imagine. You have given us a small sanctuary on this barren wasteland, a ray of light in a rather dark and bleak world. A beacon of hope for our future! It's true that this might be a small space but now we can continue to give birth to children and raise them. These children, who will grown into healthy adults, will increase the size of this sanctuary little by little and one day turn this place into a green, vibrant land once again. We won't be here to see it happen but the beacon of hope you've given us will shine down upon future generations. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for all you've done for us."

Parfet sobbed, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Tianlong Squadron stare sympathetically at the lead engineer imagining what kind of guilt Parfet must be feeling since her objective was to purify the entire planet.

A passenger shuttle lands near the infirmary and Bart rushes out to head for Shirley's room. When he gets there Duero stands over the bed, the life-support machine turned off.

Bart asked, "Why is it so quiet in here? Why is the machine turned off? Wake up, Shirley. I have loads of stories to tell ya."

Duero said in a pained voice, "Bart, she fought to the very end. She lived her life to the fullest. And yet...despite my best efforts I was unable to save her. Forgive me." The helmsman grabs the unfinished doll and exits the infirmary, padding Duero on the shoulder on the way out.

Catherine sees Bart walking out of the hospital and sits on a flat rock. The British woman understands the worst has happened.

Bart stared at the doll as Catherine came up behind him, "This the first time someone you loved has passed away? I know how that feels, it's one of the most devastating events to occur in your life. The person you cherished more than life itself. When my parents died it felt as if my soul was ripped out never be reclaimed again. Like you, I thought, "If I had done it differently." My head was full of regrets. It grew when Chang died. What's most important is cherish the memories you have of them and never forget about them. Bart, you accepted the flame of her soul. From here on it's no longer about your life alone. Lift your head high and embrace the memory you have of her. Do it for her sake as well as your own." The blonde-haired man turned to stare at the smiling pilot, "There's no need to hold back, Bart. Go ahead and cry. Tears we shed for those we love is something never to be ashamed of." Bart lets it out and Catherine rubs his back, the smile never leaving her face.

Everyone boards the Nirvana and prepare to departure when the bridge crew hear the door slide open and Bart comes in with a newly shaved head. He shaved it in memory of Shirley trying to finish the doll and wears it around his neck. He takes a deep breath then quietly enters the helm, setting the engines to full power.

The Archangel follows the Nirvana as they depart the sector.

A/N: Chapter 3 done.

Kyle showed his disdain for what his home world even thought of purging the Earth of its corrupted inhabitants. The Onryo Mode caused Kyle to lose his sanity for a second. He then told Meia what Earth was like before the harvest operation started.

Alex and Mia shared their opinions about what Earth was doing.

Kyle's Fenrir combined with Barnette's Dread to form Ma'at. A machine meant to oblierate its opponent with destructive firepower.

Bart's determination caused the Nirvana to gain homing lasers and Catherine later shared her tale about how she felt when her parents and Chang died.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 4.

Vader 23A


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Near Loss of Control

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Kyle's eyes open as he woke from his slumber and heads for the bathroom to take care of business. Once he's finished with that Kyle showers and changes into a fresh set of clothes after that he brushes his teeth, rinses his mouth with mouthwash and combs his black hair. Staring at his reflection in the mirror he notices his eyes were glowing red with slit pupils instead of the normal blue-gray, rounded pupils they normally have. Closing his eyes Kyle focuses on his lover Meia, the ray of light in his dark world. He pictures the Dread leader smiling warmly at him and that image was enough to suppress the Onryo Mode, opening his eyes Kyle sees them in their normal color and appearance.

Over the past couple of days, the recently turned 20-year old felt it was becoming harder to control Onryo Mode it was like it had a mind of its own, trying to corrupt Kyle with its immense power but the Aurelian was able to resist the temptation. However, Kyle feared that it'll consume him eventually. If it did he could lose all self-control and hurt or kill anyone in sight including his allies. The young man hoped that someone would intervene and stop him before he killed one of the Dread pilots, possibly Meia. The mere thought of her dying at his hands while in that berserker state sent immeasurable dread through Kyle.

Despite what he said, Kyle actually wants redemption or make peace with his past but not live a lonely existence he's going through.

Exiting the bathroom Kyle hears Meia moan before sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes a strap to her pink nightgown slipped off Meia's shoulder.

She said in a tired voice, "Kyle?"

Kyle answered, "Here next to ya, Meia." The drowsiness fades and Meia looks around the bedroom until she spots the man she fell in love staring into her aqua blue eyes with his blue-gray ones.

Leaning forward Kyle gently kisses Meia on the lips earning a look of surprise from the light blue-haired woman before Meia returns the kiss, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. For what seems forever, Kyle relishes the feeling of Meia's warmth flooding his slow healing heart. His hands explore Meia's body feeling every curve God bestowed upon her, at least to him. Meia gasps in the kiss she felt her heart race from Kyle's caresses and wanted him to touch her more intimately, she next feels his hand rubbing her right thigh and working his way further until he suddenly represses the desire to do more. Separating from the kiss Kyle sees desire and lust in Meia's eyes. It's not that he doesn't want to do the intimate deed he felt he wasn't worthy of it.

Meia seemed to have sensed it and pulled him into a gentle hug, caressing his hair with a smile, "It's okay, Kyle. You can touch me however you want, I won't be mad about it. In fact it makes me feel happy that you want me. However, you're holding yourself back. Why is that? Is it because you're afraid that it'll bring up the memory of your sisters being violated before their deaths? Is that it?"

Kyle answered, "Yes."

Meia chuckled softly, "Oh Kyle, I assure you that will never happen. I promised you I wasn't going anywhere. To be honest, I'm not ready for that next step either but I'll let you know when I am." Pulling him to arms-length she gave him a gentle kiss, "I love you, Kyle. Never forget that." Bringing the strap onto her shoulder, Meia releases Kyle and heads for the bathroom to shower and stuff.

After she was finished getting dressed the two exit their room and head for the cafeteria to have breakfast, Meia interlocks her hand with Kyle's and had a soft smile on her face. She knows she was making steady progress in healing the young man's heart. She yearns for the day Kyle returned to his old self before Francesca and Diego Navarro turned his life upside down. Entering the cafeteria they see it only starting to fill up with the crew and to their left the couple see Alex telling a joke to Mia who was laughing. To their right, they spot Eugene talking to Jura. Grabbing their choice of food and coffee Meia and Kyle take a seat next to Alex and Mia.

Alex greeted, "Morning Kyle and Meia. Slept well?"

Kyle shrugged, "Slept fine. How about you?"

Mia smiled, "Slept great!" After eating their meal bare, the Gisborn sisters leave the cafeteria to take care of some stuff leaving the two Aurelian pilots alone.

Alex asked, "Something's bothering you, Kyle. What is it?"

Kyle replied, "Alex, if...anything happens to me or die in battle I leave Gryphus Squadron in your care."

The younger man tilted his head, "What are you talking about, sir?"

Kyle sighed, "Over the past couple of days it's been becoming harder to control Onryo Mode, attempting to corrupt me with its power. I have been able to resist the temptation but I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." He was surprisingly calm about it.

Alex asked with trepidation, "What if it does consume you? What will happen?"

The Gryphus Squadron leader shook his head, "Don't know. One thing I do know is that it won't be anything good. Should I lose control and threaten the lives of the crew, I want you to shoot me down."

Alex's eyes widened in shock and horror, "B-but Kyle, I can't do that! You are too important for me to do that!" Later on Meia trains Hibiki in using the laser ring.

She calmly observes him using the weapon and keeps track of how many targets he shoots down. Meia notices the Vanguard pilot's hand shaking as he aims and this makes the Dread leader order him to cease practicing.

Hibiki glared at her, "What'd you do that for?"

Meia calmly stated, "You were tense during target practice, Hibiki your hand was shaking. You need to loosen up and focus on the target. Hesitation will lead to defeat, Hibiki your enemy won't wait to pull the trigger on you. Keep this in mind."

Hibiki scratched the back of his head, "This is a lot harder than I thought."

The Dread leader said, "Nobody said learning how to fire a laser ring or any kind of firearm would be easy. It took me some time to know how to use my laser ring without shooting my eye out and this is for your own good, Hibiki because we don't know if we'll find ourselves being boarded by some rival pirates."

Hibiki chuckled, "I think Kyle's mentor personality is rubbing off ya."

Meia smirked, "Like you're one to talk. Now come, it's time for close-quarters combat training." Eugene and Jura walk down the hallway chatting.

Eugene asked, "I've been wondering, Jura. How did you and Barnette meet? Judging by the way you two interact, you must be close."

Jura smiled, "Very close. Friends, that is. Barnette didn't have the best childhood, well not in any way close to what Meia or Kyle suffered. Barnette was picked on when she was a girl, called every name in the book during high school. Her passion for collecting old school firearms such as her pistol only fueled the fire. The bullying continued toward the point of which she beat her tormentor within an inch of her life. After graduating she just wandered the streets of Mejale collecting whatever firearm she could ranging from a shotgun to even a damn mini-gun. How she found that without anyone noticing is beyond me."

Eugene sweat dropped, "Wow, she has quite the passion for guns."

The blonde-haired woman chuckled, "You don't know the half of it. Anyway she was busy looking for some gun she didn't already have when I came along. Sensing danger Barnette aimed her Desert Eagle at me and threatened to blow my brains out if I don't tell her what my intentions were. I said to her I had no ill intent toward her and simply asked what she was doing, Barnette lowered her gun but remained on guard as she explained her situation. I allowed her to vent so she could calm down. We became friends shortly after that almost like sisters. We even joined Magno's crew a month later."

Eugene asked, "What was her relationship with her parents like? I'm sure it was a healthy parent/daughter relationship."

Jura replied, "She never talked about it to anyone including me. My guess is it wasn't like you imagine it to be."

The young man lowered his head, "That's unfortunate. Do you have any plans for the future, Jura? Besides wanting to have a baby with a guy."

Jura actually blinked in surprise, "The future? I do know this war against Earth has to end sooner or later and I don't think Mejale will stop its war against Tarak any time soon. It seems I am stuck on what to do. The future is unpredictable as they say."

Eugene scratched his cheek, "Well, if you need someone to talk to or want some company don't be afraid to ask me. Never had any friends besides Gryphus Squadron."

That caught Jura off guard, "Really? You look like anyone could befriend ya."

Eugene replied, "It's not as easy as you think. I never had any self-confidence during my earlier days in the Aurelian Air Force. I was constantly picked on due to my weight problems, that is until Alex witnessed it happening and taught the bullies a lesson they'd never forget. By teaching them a lesson, I mean by him breaking their jaws and making them have to sip through a straw for some time. Alex hated bullies with a passion."

Jura said, "Eugene, I..." They hear the alarm go off, signaling that the Harvesters have arrived to do battle once again. The young woman sighed, knowing she'll have to wait until after the battle to confess her feelings for him.

The Nirvana fighters take off one by one and spot the enemy formation.

It was composed of cube-types, Su-37 Terminators, MiG-21s, MiG-17s, F-15 Eagles and Seed Ships. Some of the cube-types combined to form Fakedread Dita and Fakedread Meia.

Catherine grinned, "These fools don't know when to quit, do they? Come on, boys and girls let's take them down!" Gryphus 1 targets the Su-37 Terminators and discovers the yellow tipped wings.

He said, "Ah, so this is the infamous Yellow Squadron that Ken told me about." He keeps his arrogance in check reminding himself that it can lead to one's defeat and engages the famous Erusian fighter squadron.

Executing a right turn Gryphus 1 arms an AIM-9X Sidewinder and waits for it to track the enemy's heat signature and fires, however the target releases flare to direct the missile away and its wingman fires its 30mm cannon at Gryphus 1. The Aurelian weaves through the bullets and retaliates with Fenrir's machine guns but they merely bounce off the enemy fighters' body confirming the Nirvana crew's suspicions.

The Harvesters have made their aircraft invulnerable to ballistic gun weaponry.

Tianlong Squadron finds itself under constant missile alerts but Ken Kitsuragi's training and battle experience keep the pilots level-headed. They watch each other's back as the J-10s are pushed to their aerodynamic limits from the constant evasive maneuvers Catherine and Mori pull off. It was the only thing keeping them from being shot down.

Catherine swings around and readies the AMRAAM and fires upon missile lock, the F-15 Eagle uses chaff to jam the missile's radar and returns fire with Vulcan M61A1 Gatling cannon, prompting Catherine to evade. However, this was a diversion tactic as the F-15's wingman targets Mori with its Sidewinder.

Mori called out, _"Catherine, help!"_

The British pilot grunted, "I would if I didn't have my hands full, Mori." She heard the missile warning, "Give me a break!" Sweat pours down the side of her face as her breathing quickens.

For the first time since becoming a pilot, Catherine was afraid of losing her life. Shaking the missile warning off Catherine looks for an opening in the enemy formation but to her frustration she finds none.

'Just my luck. The enemy's pulling out all the stops in this attack and keeping the formation tight, preventing us from seeing any openings in it.' She thought.

Looking to her 3 o'clock Catherine spots a couple of the F-15 Eagles firing their Gatling cannons at Mori, some of the 20mm bullets graze her fighter's wing causing her to yelp in surprise. That yelp of surprise turns into a growl of annoyance.

Mori whips her J-10 around to punish her attackers, firing the autocannon at them. She manages to down some of the fighters but it's like fighting off a swarm of angry bees, two or three fall but there's still more left to continue the fight. She readies her special weapons and waits for the missile locks to turn red and then fires. The radar guidance system leads the missile toward its target and obliterates four F-15s, Mori gets no time to celebrate because the radar warning goes off and she tries shaking it off. Releasing an exhale Mori had to think up a plan that'll save her and her friends.

Gryphus 1 activates Fenrir's Optical Camouflage blinding the fighter in with the blackness of outer space.

While searching for an opening in the enemy formation, he said, "Paksis, help us defeat the Harvesters." A white light twirls around Gryphus Squadron's airplanes and soon dies down, however the effects are surprising.

Gryphus 1 fires Fenrir's improved machine guns the bullets scream out of the barrels in brilliant blue flashes, they rip the enemy fighters' previously impenetrable frame to shreds. This lifted Gryphus Squadron's spirit and fight with full fury.

Gryphus 2 weaves through gunfire and fires the XLAAM on four MiG-17s turning them into fireballs, the debris bouncing off his F-22's canopy as he flies through the cloud. His eyes search for the other MiG-17s but soon detects movement coming from his 5 o'clock low. Fakedread Meia closes in at insane speeds and would have rammed the F-22 had the pilot not dodge in time. Executing a right turn that almost causes Gryphus 2 to pass out despite his g-suit countering the effects, he readies another XLAAM and fires. The missile smokes the evil counterpart of Vandread Meia and Gryphus 2 returns his attention to the MiGs.

Gryphus 1 combines with Mia's Dread to form Amaterasu and does battle with Fakedread Dita who uses one of its laser cannons as a close-range weapon. It swings its lance in a series of swift strikes and stabs, hoping one of them connects but they don't get past Amaterasu's defense batting them away with one-handed parries. Switching to offense the silver colored machine hammers on Fakedread Dita with no restraint, this overwhelming power attack forces the Fakedread to defend itself. Amaterasu keeps up the pressure making the enemy commit to defense. Fakedread Dita strains under the constant barrage until Amaterasu throws a kick that sends the blue and red machine back. It throws all of its weight in a move that would have decapitated Fakedread Dita had the evil machine not dodge in time but it leaves itself wide open to a slam from Amaterasu's shield.

The Fakedread tries to avoid but its right hand gets cut off, however this makes Fakedread Dita angry. Unleashing a roar of rage, the evil machine swings wildly at Amaterasu, the silver colored opponent easily dodges them and one powerful thrust from its boosters allow Amaterasu to get behind its challenger. The machine reverses the grip on its blade and drives it through Fakedread Dita's stomach then without looking shoots the twin-barreled plasma rifle at 50% power, vaporizing the upper half of Fakedread Dita. Freeing its sword and turning around, Amaterasu destroys the remains of its opponent with another round from the plasma rifle.

Barnette called out, _"Somebody help me, I'm being outgunned here!"_ Gryphus 1 and Mia look at each other and nod, defusing Amaterasu and Gryphus 1 flies toward Barnette's Dread combing it to form Ma'at.

Ma'at opens the missile silos on its shoulders and legs then multiple missile locks appear on the cockpit monitor. Once all of the locks turn red the pilots fire, a wave of missiles soar through space and hit the targets. Seeing cube-types coming straight for it, Ma'at aims its rifle and shoots off 20 rounds, each bullet punches through the cube-types like paper. Ma'at next switches to the Gatling gun downing more cube-types.

Barnette growled in annoyance, "They just keep coming. Is there no end to them?" Gryphus 1 doesn't mention it but he agrees with her. It's like the enemy formation regenerates the lost members.

The radar warning goes off and a missile comes out of nowhere and strikes Ma'at in the chest, electrical arcing ensues and causes the machine to defuse.

Looking around Gryphus 1 sees his allies getting overwhelmed by the Harvesters' superior numbers. White-hot anger rises from the depths causing a black aura to form around Fenrir and soon explodes into a column that quickly turns into a sphere of dark energy, obscuring the airplane from view.

Hibiki stared at the object, "What is that?"

Crux said,_ "Some kind of black sphere. Gryphus 1, come in. Gryphus 1, do you hear me? I'm getting no response from him, guys."_ The Seed Ships release more cube-types and approach the sphere when it suddenly explodes, the sheer force of it blows the cube-types apart. From the sphere a new machine emerges.

It was dark gray in color, humanoid in form with glowing red hieroglyphic marks on its torso, neck and arms that pulsated, spikes protruded out of the forearms, clawed hands, a demonic head with horns taking the form of a crown that ended with twin jagged spikes on the sides, its right hand held a sword that resembled a claymore sword but more demonic in nature with glowing red veins running up the length of the blade, the left arm had nothing in it and lastly bat-like wings emerged from its back.

Gryphus 2's eyes widened in shock, "I've never seen that design before. What is it?"

Mia said, _"It's so cold!"_

Her older sister asked Mia, _"What are you talking about? How can you be cold?"_

The younger Gisborn explained,_ "The aura that thing's given off, it's so cold. It feels like Death's hand is on my shoulder. Whatever that thing is, it's pure darkness!"_ Even the Harvesters cease their attack to stare at Anubis who was hunched over with the black aura still present.

The machine rears back and announces its birth with a roar that was so menacing and deep it was like a demon from the deepest parts of hell.

Directing its deathly gaze to the cube-types and Seed Ships in front of it, Anubis brings its sword to the left side of its torso and the crew sees energy beginning to accumulate on the blade when it glows red Anubis swings the sword to the right, the gathered energy is released in a massive shock wave that completely destroys the cube-types. It feels its back getting hit by missiles which makes it turn around and glare at the attackers. Anubis points the left arm forward and to everyone's shock changes into a gun.

They heard Gryphus 1 say in a darker, menacing voice, **_"Join your planet in extinction!"_** The gun charges up and fires, the crimson beam flies out of the barrel at the speed of light. The beam's destructive power obliterates nearly half of the enemy formation. Anubis presses the attack on its foes.

Gryphus 2 notices the way it's attacking. There was no tactical planning, no control, nothing that would define it as rational. It was fighting like a wild animal.

It suddenly dawned on him and he said, "It's the Onryo Mode. It's taken over!"

Crux popped up on the monitor, _"It's what?"_

Gryphus 2 explained, "Earlier today, Gryphus 1 told me it was becoming harder to control it and he asked me to shoot him down if Onryo Mode consumed him. I just...I can't do it. I can't shoot down the man I came to respect." Anubis pokes its cannon inside one of the Seed Ships and fires, the Seed Ship expands from the sudden intrusion and punches through the other end.

A colossal explosion rips the Harvest unit apart. The other Harvest units comes at Anubis from every angle when the dark machine pulls its limbs close then throws them back out, unleashing a sphere of raw power destroying every cube-type, fighter jet and Fakedreads unfortunate enough to be in its path. The survivors attempt to escape but their ruthless attacker aims its gun arm and fires it at full power. With the last of the enemy units vaporized Anubis roars in victory before turning its attention to the Nirvana and the fighters. It points the gun at them, the barrel starting to light up.

Magno exclaimed, "Everyone, take evasive action now!" Bart and the pilots split into two halves just as the beam soars past them.

Gryphus 2 said, _"Kyle, snap out of it! The Onryo Mode's controlling you. Don't make me shoot you down! Please, sir!"_ Gryphus 1's image pops up on the monitor and his glowing red eyes are visible through the dark visor of his helmet and the glowing vein marks are visible too.

Gryphus 1 growled,** "Shut up!"** Anubis speeds toward the F-22, sword raised over its head to slice the stealth fighter in half when it's intercepted by the Vanguard's sword.

Hibiki grunted, _"Kyle, get a hold of yourself. We're your friends!"_ The only response he gets is a roar of primal rage that made the hairs on the back of Hibiki's neck stand up.

Changing the gun arm to normal, Anubis holds the sword in both hands and delivers an overhead chop that the Vanguard blocks with its blade. Anubis pounds on it with no restraint and Hibiki finds himself facing the fact that he's in the fight of his life. The dark machine uses the strength advantage to hammer at the Vanguard's defense entering a blade lock that Anubis quickly breaks, swinging its blade wildly before connecting a kick. The Vanguard draws its second blade switching to the dual blade variant of sword fighting. The gold and white machine parries an attack with one blade and counters with the other Anubis avoids the slash for its waist and swings the claymore again. The Vanguard thwarts it with a cross guard though the Van-type strains under the attack's brute strength.

Hibiki tried to reason with the possessed Aurelian, _"Kyle, please don't do this. We know you would never harm us."_ He notices Gryphus 1 quivering like he was fighting the Onryo Mode.

Gryphus 1 said, "Hibiki, please...end this. Kill me. I don't know how long I can hold the Onryo Mode back. Do it!" Hibiki was conflicted on what to do.

On one hand, Kyle came to be the big brother figure he never had and looked up to. On the other hand, seeing Kyle in this possessed state was causing Hibiki's survival instinct to kick in telling him to end the threat.

Hibiki shook his head, _"I can't do it."_ He disengages from the fight and Onryo Mode takes over again.

Gryphus 1 mocked, **"Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ah! You want to die that badly? Just look at you scuttling away. Watching you flee like that, you're more like a coward than a fighter!"**

'There's gotta be a way for Kyle to break free.' Hibiki thought.

Gryphus 1 continued mocking, **"You can't run forever, Hibiki. I will find you no matter where you go, you're the hunted and I'm the hunter. What will take you to face me? Maybe I'll toy with Dita before ending her life."** That triggers something in Hibiki.

Hibiki said, _"You will not harm her!"_ The Vanguard bring its swords down in a cross slash that Anubis blocks, intercepting them in mid-strike.

A backhand careens the Vanguard away and Anubis cuts both arms off, Hibiki glares at the monster defiantly.

Dita cried, "Mr. Alien!" She avoids the swing that would have dissected her Dread and combines with the Vanguard.

Vandread Dita punches Anubis and aims the laser cannons at point-blank range obscuring their vision, the smoke eventually clears and their opponent stands there with only scorch marks on its body.

Hibiki gasped, "No way!" Anubis grabs Vandread Dita's neck with one hand and readies its claymore for the killing blow.

Gryphus 1 asked them, **_"Any last words? If so, say them!"_**

Hibiki tried reasoning with him one last time, "Kyle, get a hold of yourself! You'd never harm us on purpose."

Gryphus 1 sneered, **_"Like I care! Now die!"_ **Anubis aims the claymore at the chest where the cockpit, the pilots brace for impact.

Meia pleaded, _"Kyle, stop!"_ That made Anubis stop its attack, _"Don't do it, Kyle! Murdering a comrade is something you would never do instead you would jump to their rescue if they needed. The Kyle I know is loyal to his comrades and caring despite the hell he went through. So please, calm down. I love you, Kyle Masterson!"_ Her words break the Onryo Mode's hold on Gryphus 1 as the veins marks disappear and his eyes return to normal.

The Aurelian surveys the destruction he caused while under the influence of Onryo Mode in utter shock before looking at the claymore sword inches from piercing Vandread Dita's chest. Strangely though, Yellow Squadron escaped relatively undamaged.

He said, "What have I done? Dita, Hibiki, I..." Anubis roars in agony from the deprive of negative emotions it fed on before the aura envelops it and when it vanished completely, Fenrir took its place.

When they return to the Nirvana, Kyle bolted out of the hanger and into his and Meia's room. The guilt he feels running through him causes Kyle to stare at the ground.

Kyle clenched his fists, "Almost took a comrade's life! How could I have let the Onryo Mode control me?! I'm more of a threat to the crew than the Harvesters, perhaps it's best if I left."

Meia said, "Kyle, you in there? I'm coming in." The door opens and the Dread leader steps inside, the door closing behind her.

The grief stricken man refuses to make eye contact even as Meia takes a seat next to him on the bed.

She touched his shoulder, "Kyle." The Aurelian lifts his head to look at her before wrapping his arms around her sobbing hard. Meia holds him tenderly, rubbing his back.

Kyle said, "I almost ended Hibiki and Dita's life. I really am a monster!"

Meia smiled, "It's not your fault, Kyle. That was the Onryo Mode's doing, not yours."

Kyle told her, "That doesn't change the fact I almost killed a comrade."

Meia gently asked him, "Kyle, look at me." He did so and the light blue-haired woman said, "You are no monster, you are a brave soul that has stared death in the face and survived. This crew is family, we watch and help each other. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with you, Kyle. I know it's hard letting go of a painful past especially the one you had but we are here for you. Let me be the light that guides you from the darkness. Let my love heal your heart. And most importantly, allow me to love you." She pulls him into a passionate yet loving kiss, bringing them onto the bed fully.

The kissing continues for a minute before they separate, Kyle looks into Meia's eyes seeing nothing but affection and love.

He said, "Meia, I..."

Meia placed a finger on his lips, "It's okay, I'm here for you now." Kyle snuggles into Meia's padded chest as his eyes close and Meia holds him like he'd disappear if she let go, her own eyes closing after placing their circlets on the nightstand.

'No matter what happens, I won't abandon you, Kyle.' She thought.

A/N: Chapter 4 done.

The title speaks for itself, Kyle almost lost control of himself when the Onryo Mode took over.

Kyle asked Alex that if he lost himself to Onryo Mode, Alex would be the one who shoots him down. That and he would leave Gryphus Squadron in his care.

Jura told Eugene how she met Barnette and a little of her past though not all of it. In turn Eugene told her about how he was bullied due to his lack of self-confidence and weight problems during his earlier days with the Aurelian Air Force.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 5.

Vader 23A


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Forced Negotiations

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Kyle wakes up feeling something soft pressed against his face, directing his tired blue-gray eyes to the source Kyle gasps when he realizes his face was inches away from Meia's chest. He fights the urge to reach out and touch her breasts and instead looks at the Dread leader's sleeping face. Kyle admits that Meia was very beautiful though seeing her asleep like that made her the more difficult to resist doing naughty things. Confusion rolls through his mind as he wondered how he came to be like this then realization comes to him.

'The Onryo Mode possessed me and destroyed that Harvest attack force. After that I almost killed my allies! However, Meia was able to save me.' He thought stroking the woman's cheek affectionately.

The physical contact makes Meia groan before opening her eyes to see Kyle giving her a small smile causing the Dread leader to pull him in for a quick kiss. They take turns getting ready for the day and leave the room, walking through the hallway Kyle sees some of the crew members giving him wary glances though he doesn't blame them for what happened. A glare from Meia makes them back off and the two reach the cafeteria.

Sitting at the table where Alex and Mia are Kyle notices Alex reading a book while occasionally taking a sip of coffee.

Kyle said, "Trying to find out more about Aurelia's fate after our disappearance?"

Alex nodded, "Yeah, I want to find out what caused the financial chaos Aurelia experienced in 2031. That scientist guy mentioned in the video that a series of events happened but what events were they? A financial crisis needs a trigger."

Kyle replied, "Believe me, Alex I want to find out as well yet at the same time I won't like the answer. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday I should not have let the Onryo Mode take over."

His wingman stopped reading and placed a hand on Kyle's shoulder, "It's okay, man. That was the Onryo Mode doing that, not you. You'd never harm a comrade." Kyle felt better when Alex accepted his apology.

Kyle frowned, "I never imagined it could create that evil machine, Anubis."

Mia said, "We were all surprised. I had a nightmare about it, believe it or not."

Alex rubbed his chin, "I formed a theory about the Onryo Mode, it seems to feed off negative emotions such as anger or rage. The more negativity you have, the stronger it becomes."

Kyle asked him, "What can be done to stop it?"

The younger pilot said, "That's up to you. It wasn't meant to sound cold, Kyle. I was stating the fact." Eating his fill Kyle sets his plate in the sink and heads for the training room he didn't want his fighting skills become rusty.

Later that day, the Nirvana comes across a mission and establishes communication with it.

A man with a bald head and eyebrows popped up on the monitor, _"Is someone using that frontier ship signal? So who are you pumpkins?"_

Belvedere said bluntly, "He's awfully rude, ain't he?"

BC cleared her throat, "We come from the planet Mejale and are requesting permission to come on board for re-supplying."

The man scoffed, _"Ha! What makes you think we'll let you on board, we're running low ourselves."_

BC added, "We also have highly trained engineers that can help fix your place up."

The man looked away to chat with his friends before giving his answer, _"Our rule here is eat or be eaten so if you don't care about your personal safety then come on board."_

BC smiled, "I promise you won't be disappointed." After being informed of the upcoming resupply mission, the boarding party gets ready for any possible confrontations.

Kyle calmly loads a fresh clip into his M9A1 Beretta, makes sure the wrist blades and glaive worked properly and dons the demonic mask locking the neck clamps in place. Alex does the same thing except he decides to leave his helmet behind.

Jura spots Barnette putting a bag full of guns and a case holding another gun down. She next customizes her M-4 carbine assault rifle with a scope and laser pointer, the dark green-haired woman replaces her long gloves with fingerless ones and wears an ammo vest.

'Wow, Jura wasn't kidding about Barnette's passion for collecting guns. Who knows how many she's got.' Eugene thought with a sweat drop.

Jura asked her close friend, "What are you doing with all of that, Barnette?"

Barnette replied with a mischievous smile, "There might be a chance where we see close-range combat so it's best to come prepared. Better be safe than sorry as the old saying goes."

BC said, "We're going in a small group so don't shoot unless in self-defense." Barnette comically sighs at that.

Hibiki called out, "Let me go, too! I want to check this place out!" They board a landing shuttle and head for docking hanger K2 while BC directs Dita to docking hanger 5A.

Kyle and Barnette press against both sides of the entry door and turn the safety on their pistols off, cocking them and nod to each other. Barnette places her hand on the scanner and a moment later the door opens. Stepping through it they observe the condition of the interior.

The power grid was barely keeping the life-support system on, the air smelled funny, pipes leaked, severed wires hung precariously, etc. In other words, the station had seen better days.

Gascogne said in sarcasm, "Wow, what a cheery place." The inhabitants ranged from kids to adults.

Barnette cautiously leads the group down the stairs and keeps her gun pointed in front of her.

She warned, "Stay where you are. Come any closer and I'll shoot!"

Dita pulled out a camera to snap a picture but Hibiki stopped her, "Now's not the time for pictures. These people don't look too friendly."

Pyoro said, "He's just scared."

Hibiki glared at the white robot, "What was that, junk pile?" The group spots the bald man at the top of the opposing stairs.

He ordered, "Follow me." While following him the adult men begin wolf whistling at the sight of hot women walking past them, Jura blows them kisses something that Kyle didn't understand because these guys wouldn't hesitate to do who knows what to her.

Kyle told Jura, "I strongly recommend you quit doing that because these guys are too shady for my tastes." They soon arrive at an arena surrounded by fences topped with barbed wire. They hear a chuckle from a young woman with long purple hair, matching eyes and wearing a rust red jumpsuit.

She said with humor, "Looks like we have some guests."

BC asked, "Are you their leader?"

The woman replied, "I suppose so. After all, nobody's foolish enough to challenge me. Isn't that right, Patch?"

The bald man said, "Yes, it would be unwise to challenge you, Ms. Liz."

Liz asked him, "Where do our friends come from?"

BC answered, "We come from Mejale."

Liz said, "Ah, so our friends come from behind the magnetic storm? No wonder you don't know how to talk."

Gascogne kept watch over the crowd as she stated, "It seems they know who we are so it's no surprise they would tease us a little."

BC informed, "We ask for permission to rest and re-supply, in return we'll share our technical expertise with you."

Liz declined the offer, "That sounds nice but we're not in any trouble at the moment. We are lacking some entertainment, though."

Kyle said, "I think you should reconsider the offer our commander has given you. Despite your claim, this station is barely hospitable. Have you checked it yourself? Please accept our offer to fix this place up."

Liz challenged, "And if I refuse? What'll you do then?"

Kyle replied, "I could break every bone in your body until you agree. Your choice." Everyone present sense that Kyle wasn't joking.

Alex cleared his throat, "You mentioned you were lacking entertainment, right?" Liz nodded and he continued, "I'm taking a wild guess here and say we have to fight to claim our rights for the supplies. Does that sum it up?"

Liz nodded, "Correct. How about a six on six fight? Anything but projectiles is fine by me."

Hibiki grinned, "Count me in!"

Alex held his arm out, "How about a fight between representatives? You vs. me?"

Liz stood up, "Sounds fine to me." The chair starts sliding down a tread and Alex pulls out a katana that Mori gave him as a sign of respect towards him.

He enters the opening stance of his design with the blade held in a two-handed grip on the dominant side of the body, angled slightly from the chest and the feet were evenly spaced.

BC asked, "How come you're letting Alex fight, Kyle? I was expecting you to face Liz."

Kyle answered, "I wanted to see his CQC in person and there's also the fact he was itching for an actual fight. Watch and learn." The light reflects off the katana, showing the blade's sharpness and perfect craftsmanship.

Gascogne grinned, "This should be interesting."

Alex taunted, "So tell me, Ms. Liz when does the bell ring?"

Liz asked, "Do you know what pisses me off the most?"

Alex smirked, "No, I do not."

His opponent sneered, "It's people who have a smug attitude like you!" She grabs a cylinder from her jumpsuit and activates it, turning it into a saber.

'Are you kidding me? This isn't Star Wars!' Alex thought with a deadpanned look on his face.

Liz jumps into the air and bears down on Alex with her saber who blocks it with ease. He blocks a strike for his head and uses his opponent's momentum to casually push Liz off her feet. Returning to her feet Liz jumps away and throws kunai at her opponent but Alex deflects most of them but one flies past him, leaving a cut on his cheek that he barely felt. Alex runs toward Liz and swings his blade that the purple-haired woman barely dodges but Alex returns the favor, leaving a cut on Liz's cheek. Gritting her teeth, Liz throws a kick that Alex stops with no difficulty. The thug leader aims for Alex's neck with her saber but the Aurelian ducks then grabs her arm, tossing her overhead and onto her back. She rolls away from a stab that was aimed for her shoulder and returns to her feet.

Alex said, "Your fighting style is amateurish, girl. It lacks the refinement brought on by training and experience. I bet a newcomer of swordsmanship can beat you." That angers Liz more.

She growled, "Don't get cocky, you little brat!" On the Nirvana, Meia, Eugene and Duero look over the station's schematics.

Meia said, "It may not look like much but their radar system has flaws."

Duero nodded in agreement, "It seems these people are doing what they can to survive."

Meia narrowed her eyes, "Hm? Take a look at that. It appears they have suffered some recent damage."

Eugene said, "You're right. That certainly doesn't look like meteorite damage because they leave a dent in the metal so this looks more like damage from a battle that happened outside recently. We all know who would come knocking on the station's door."

Duero replied, "The Harvesters. No question about it." They hear a beeping noise as the Nirvana's radar detects an all too familiar enemy and the pilots nod at each other knowing that it was time to do battle with the Harvesters.

Back with the fight inside the station, Alex was in control of the fight deflecting kunai thrown at him by Liz. Switching to offense Alex begins unleashing power attacks that force Liz onto defense but Alex swings his sword in one hand, batting away counters from the purple-haired woman and cartwheels using the momentum generated to bring his blade down on Liz's saber. He kicks the young woman hard in the chest sending Liz back, her boots generating clouds of dust from the dirty floor.

BC commented, "Your wingman is really talented in close-range combat. Did you train him?"

Kyle said, "Somewhat. What made the Aurelian Air Force Academy different from others was that our academy had a training ground in the back where newcomers could receive close-range combat training, them being armed, unarmed or both. Alex wanted training in both so our the academy's trainer taught Alex everything he knew. When Alex wanted to learn some of the more dangerous moves, the trainer said it'd be better if Alex didn't because the last student who underwent it received some nasty injuries. I won't go into details, though. Alex hid his disappointment and thanked the trainer for the lessons. A day later, I approached Alex for some training but mine was vastly different. I taught him how to use all sorts of weapons, even turn every-day items into a lethal weapon. Another series of lessons I taught is allow his opponent to vent making them believe they were getting the better of him when in fact Alex was letting them tire themselves, ultimately giving in to fatigue or frustration. The second is be on guard and be aware of his surroundings as a skilled assassin out to get you isn't going to announce himself. The third and final lesson is if he can't win against his opponent outright, he must use the environment to aid him finding a way to match or circumvent to achieve victory." Liz catches the outstretched arm Alex threw at her and throws him over but Alex lands on his feet and charges forward, ramming Liz off her feet with shoulder tackle. He next grabs a pair of kunai throwing them at Liz, the young woman dodges most of them but one cuts strands of her purple hair off.

'Time to end this.' Alex thought as he ran, knowing that victory is within reach.

Suddenly Patch presses a button, causing a block to pop up from the floor and knocks Alex off his feet. However, he quickly restores his vertical base and aggressively pounds at Liz's defense and puts all of his weight behind a shove that pushes Liz back. The two enter a blade-lock and Alex directs the saber from his limbs and pushes Liz down.

He pointed his blade at her, "It is useless to resist, admit defeat and spare yourself further humiliation." Seeing her tense her weapon arm, Alex steps on that arm preventing Liz from retaliating and points his pistol at her face.

They heard a familiar voice saying, "My, my, I never thought I'd see the day where you get beaten, Liz." Turning their heads, the boarding crew discovers it to be Rabat. Kyle wonders if he fully recovered from the ass kicking he got from the Aurelian.

Liz demanded, "How the hell did you get in here undetected?"

Rabat smirked, "The security system here is full of holes just like your fighting style, Liz."

Liz asked, "How long do you plan on irritating me until you're satisfied?"

Rabat scratched his nose in a thoughtful manner, "I actually lost count now that I think about it." The conversation gets interrupted by the mission violently shaking.

Dita wondered, "What was that?" Outside the station, the Harvesters unleash capsule-like objects. When their heads touch the outer hall they burn through the metal and release gel objects into the interior.

Rabat explained, "Our new guests are refugees that most likely escaped the Harvesters. I guess you can say they are outcasts driven from their home worlds and have wandered aimlessly throughout the universe until they banded together and attacked this piece of garbage called a mission."

Patch added, "Just when we think we have gotten rid of them, they wind up coming back. It's almost like they were toying with us!" BC asks Patch what's the safest place on the mission and he said it's the central control room.

She begins giving orders. Gascogne, Parfet and Alex will help him lead the civilians to the central command room. Jura, Barnette, Kyle and herself will hold off the invaders to ensure the evacuations are complete.

Hibiki and Dita eventually reach their respective craft and and head for the battle taking place outside the mission.

Outside of the structure, Meia and the Dread fighters take off to engage the enemy.

Meia ordered, "Everyone, our goal is to keep the enemy away from the mission." Crux sticks with Tianlong Squadron and the 3 fighters engage a pair of MiG-31 Foxhounds.

Catherine chases after the enemy flight lead and shoots her J-10's autocannon downing the fighter quickly and swinging around to see MiG-21s coming at her from 12 o'clock high seemingly out of nowhere. Staying calm the young British woman arms her special weapon and fires them at 4 of the enemy MiGs. Directing her attention to the others Catherine stares at her targets with contempt.

'It's so infuriating that the humans on Earth would commit such a sin. Maybe Kyle was right. Maybe the universe would be better if the humans on Earth perished.' She thought.

BC, Jura, Barnette and Kyle wait for the enemy to arrive at the station. They don't have to wait for long because the door panel flashes red and the door opens up, that in turn causes them to open fire.

Jura fires her laser ring and the beams bounce off the gel-like entities.

BC said in surprise, "Impossible! A prism effect?" Unharmed from the attack one of the gels target Jura and nears the blonde when it suddenly explodes and splatters onto her dress.

She gagged in disgust, "Yuck! What the hell are they?"

Barnette smirked at her close friend, "At times when beams are no good use something solid, Jura." She handed her a sub-machine gun, "Here, use this." The blonde-haired woman grabs the weapon and stands up in time to spot the second wave coming."

Jura exclaimed, "Get away from me!" She begins unloading her magazine round at her enemies.

Barnette said in excitement, "Oh yeah, this is how real combat is supposed to be!" She had the biggest grin she could form on her face, showing how much the dark green-haired woman was enjoying using something other than her Dread. She soon runs out of ammo.

She growled, "I'm out of shells!" Undeterred she opened a case holding a light machine gun with rail styled bullets and smirked, "Bring it."

"Mind if I use this?" BC asked as she opened another case holding a high-powered shotgun.

Barnette asked her superior, "Um, commander do you know how to..." BC fires the shotgun, downing all gel-like entities in quick succession.

After pumping out the last shell, BC looked at Barnette, "Did you say something?"

The Dread pilot smiled with a sweat drop, "Never mind." Alex whips around upon hearing another noise, pointing his Beretta at that direction.

Alex said, "Shit, they're behind us, too!" A wall of flame vaporizes the gel entities and Liz emerges wielding a flamethrower.

She smirked, "Can't let you have all the fun." Rabat stares at the scene from the balcony.

The trader groaned, "It's like for the most socially challenged." Without even looking he pulls out his pistol and shot at the gel-like entity sneaking up behind him, "Jesus! Looks like I can't stand here and enjoy the show." Rabat jumps down to join the others.

Alex ordered, "Everyone, pull back! They'll surround us at this rate!" Outside the mission, the Dread fighters struggle to keep the Harvesters at bay.

Mia said, "Bart, we could use some help here!"

The helmsman replied, _"I think I can hit them all but one of them could accidentally hit the mission. You need to pull them further out."_

Mia chuckled, "Heh, you make sound so easy." Hibiki's Vanguard combines with Dita's Dread to create Vandread Dita.

Dita took the change of cockpit design, "Look at this, Mr. Alien."

Hibiki nodded, "Yeah, I've never seen this design before. Could it be the Paksis' doing?"

Pyoro said, "What a strange looking cockpit. I think I smell sexual arousal."

Hibiki barked, "Shut the hell up!"

Magno informed, _"Hey, what are you waiting for? BC and the others need your help!"_ Inside the station, Barnette and Alex hold the enemy off to allow BC lead the others toward the central control room.

Once they are in, Alex taps Barnette on the shoulder telling her it was their turn. They enter the room and Barnette slams the handle to her pistol against the panel to seal the door then pants comically. Their relief is short-lived when the door opens and the gels move forward. The only thing stopping them now is the laser grid.

Gascogne cracked her knuckles, "It's only a matter of time now." Alex and Barnette load their last clip into their pistols, the gels suddenly change color from green to bright yellow and press against the laser grid.

BC asked, "They can change form?"

Rabat commented, "That's rather impressive." The gels overwhelm the laser grid shutting it down and the gang prepares to fight when Vandread Dita arrives, crushing the gels with its massive hand.

Dita chirped, _"Sorry to keep you waiting."_

'What took them so long?' Alex with a twitching eyebrow.

Rabat said, "A blue Kachina."

Gascogne smirked, "If I hear you took your sweet time making a theatrical entry, I promise you won't live long to regret it!"

After luring the enemy further away, Meia asked, "Well, Bart? How does it look?" Seeing that the enemy gained enough distance from the mission, Bart readies the Nirvana's homing lasers.

Bart said,_ "Alright, let's go!"_ He fires the ship's homing lasers annihilating the Harvesters and enemy fighters with ease, one severely damaged MiG-21 survived the assault and tries to escape but Catherine prevents it from doing so.

Amarone stated, "All enemy units have been destroyed."

Ezra added, "Everyone on the station are safe as well." Magno leans back in her seat, sighing in relief.

Staying true to their promise, the Nirvana engineers help do repairs to the mission replacing any old metal with new ones, fixing the power grid and leaking water pipes, downed wiring and lastly fumigate the air to remove the foul odor from the air.

Rabat oversees the repairs from the mission's bar room.

Liz poured them a glass of red wine, "I now see why you chose to side with them. It's rare to find good natured people these days." Dita watches the scene from outside the room while Patch and Hibiki struggle to hold Utan.

Liz said, "37 times." Rabat looked at her confused so she clarified, "That's how many times you made me jealous."

Rabat smiled, "That many, huh? I haven't realized we have been together for that long." Utan breaks free from her restrainers' grip and jumps into Rabat's arms, baring her teeth at Liz in a threatening manner.

Patch said, "Hey!"

Rabat rubbed the top of the orangutan's furry head, "Okay, I get it Utan."

Liz chuckled, "I guess we'll catch up some other time."

Rabat nodded, "Yeah. Until next time." Liz quickly presses her lips against his.

After the repairs are complete, the Nirvana and Archangel depart the mission fully stocked on supplies..

While everyone's sleeping, Kyle stands in the garden looking out the giant window quietly. The stoic expression on his face slowly becomes sorrowful as images of his mother and sisters, the 4 people he lost during the invasion of Aurelia by Leasath flash through his mind. Their smiling faces bring tears to his eyes, emotional wounds that'll never truly heal. The tears increase as Jessica and Sara were violated then murdered in front of him. That disgusting memory will haunt him forever. What makes it more sickening was that Francesca enjoyed watching him suffer. After his augmentation surgery, his cousin Kane told him that his mother and adopted sister Bianca were caught in the bombing of his hometown this destroyed Kyle's life. From that day forward he became a vengeful man out for Francesca and Diego Navarro's blood. He felt only through their deaths can he find closure.

But what will he do once his revenge is complete? Will Kyle continue the life he's currently on? Or can he somehow move on and see what the future has in store for him?

Kyle said, "Mother, sisters, I'm so sorry you died. I was powerless to save you but I promise the Nirvana crew won't suffer the same fate." He wipes the tears from his eyes and was about to leave when a bright light appears in front of him that soon begins taking the shape of a sheathed sword. The weapon lowers itself onto Kyle's opened hands and the light dies down.

The sheath was colored dark gray with a golden dragon wrapping itself around the sheath until it stopped below the blade guard. The hilt was covered in red silk with the blade guard being square-shaped, simple but effective.

Pulling the sword out of the sheath, Kyle discovered the blade having a polished shine and kanji carved into the blade that he didn't know. Maybe he'll get Mori to translate them. Placing the blade into the sheath Kyle turns around to head for bed when he's suddenly inside the aqua green place that he's now certain is the inside of the Paksis.

_Kyle asked it, "Okay, Paksis what is the meaning behind giving me this sword?" The light from before reappears and takes on another form, this time more human. Once the mysterious entity completes its transformation the light dies down, taking on the shape of Kyle's mother._

_His eyes widened, "What the hell? Mother?"_

_Michelle smiled, "Hello, Kyle."_

_Kyle said, "But how? How is this possible? You're dead!"_

_His smiled sadly, "Physically, yes. However, my spirit was saved by the Paksis. So in a way, I have become part of it."_

_Kyle frowned, "Become part of it?"_

_Michelle nodded, "That's right. The Paksis has abilities you and the crew have only begun to understand."_

_Kyle asked, "I need some answers, mom. Where did this sword come from?"_

_His mother answered, "The Paksis is a sentient being reflecting the hearts of those who touch it. The one you are familiar with is linked to your feelings. The crew wants to return to their home worlds and warn them of the impending threat. In your case, the Paksis heard your vow to protect the crew. Despite your tortured heart, you are still a good person who fights for those you don't want to lose." She sees her son's expression change._

_Kyle clenched his fists, "I miss you, father and my sisters a lot. It's not fair you had to die in the invasion of Aurelia. You have done nothing wrong. Even now it hurts." Michelle walks toward her son and embraces him, displaying the affection only a mother could do. She places Kyle's head on her chest with a loving smile._

_Michelle said, "Please, Kyle don't blame yourself anymore. It's not your fault."_

_Kyle shook his head, "But it is! Had I not gone on that errand, you, Sara, Jessica and Bianca would still be alive and I wouldn't be walking the tortured path I do now."_

_Michelle removed his head from her chest and looked at him, "You have people that care about you, more importantly someone who loves you."_

_Kyle asked, "You're talking about Meia, aren't you?"_

_His mother smiled, "So that's her name. You two are alike."_

_Kyle deadpanned, "I pretty much figured that out a while ago. I want redemption, mom. Sadly I don't know where to start."_

_Michelle informed, "Look into your heart and you'll find the answer." She begins glowing and slowly moves away from her child._

_Kyle said, "Please, don't go!" She continued to move further away and he pleaded, "Mother, don't leave me! I need you!"_

_His mother vanished from sight but her words echoed, "I'll always be with you, son. I love you with all my heart. Never forget that. Allow your sword guide you on the road to redemption."_ When the light fades, Kyle finds himself in bed with Meia looking at him in concern.

She asked, "You okay, love? You were mumbling in your sleep."

Kyle said, "I'm...fine, Meia."

Meia noticed the sword, "Where did you get that?"

Kyle smiled, "Believe it or not, the Paksis created it. What's more is that I saw my mom in it."

Meia's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Really?"

The Aurelian chuckled, "I was shocked. She said the Paksis saved her spirit and she became a part of the Paksis. Well, sort of."

Meia giggled, "The Paksis is full of mysteries. Who knows what else it can do."

Kyle stared at his new weapon, "Mom's parting words were allowing my sword guide me on the road to redemption."

Meia held Kyle's hand in hers, "Everyone will be here to help you reach that goal including me." She kisses him and they lay back down, Meia uses her lover's chest as a pillow.

A/N: Chapter 5 done.

The Nirvana crew came across a mission in need of supplies but they had to prove their worth of claiming the supplies.

Alex fought Liz while Kyle revealed that he helped improve Alex's close-range combat skills.

Lastly the Paksis gave Kyle a sword as a means of helping him achieve redemption and his mom told him that the Paksis saved her spirit.

Not much else to say.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 6.

Vader 23A


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Paksis' Origin

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Another day comes for the Nirvana crew and Kyle heads out to rendezvous with Eugene to help the young man improve his unarmed combat skills and handling of weapons. He reaches a room next to the gym that had a wide interior perfect for close-range combat training.

Eugene wore a black tank top, matching sweat shorts and white shoes with black laces.

Kyle donned a white tank top, gray sweat shorts and black shoes with red laces.

Eugene asked, "What training session are we doing today?"

Kyle explained, "Today I'll teach you how to defend yourself against staff type weapons like my glaive here. Draw your weapon." Eugene follows his order and draws the sword Alex gave for this purpose which ironically is the same weapon Mori gave Alex.

Kyle squeezes the hilt to his glaive and both blades extend to their maximum length, twirling the double-bladed weapon over his head before settling into his fighting stance with the glaive held in a two-handed grip on the dominant side with the hands a few inches apart from each other and the knees slightly bent.

Eugene held the sword at waist height in both hands, angled downward and pointed to the side with the feet shoulder-width apart.

Kyle's eyes turn glowing red and his pupils become slits like that of a reptile's, unknown to his sparring partner this was also mental training for the squadron leader in an attempt to get the Onryo Mode under control because he doesn't want it taking over again. That memory of it doing so was fresh in his mind.

Eugene's teacher said, "Here I come, Eugene. Prepare yourself." With that Kyle charges at him and Eugene barely had enough time to block a strike that would have cut his head off.

Unlike other staff type weaponry, the glaive Kyle wielded required a more dance-like move set that he mastered when the crew wasn't engaging the Harvesters in battle.

Parrying a downward strike Kyle aims for Eugene's exposed flank, the young man jumps away the blade creates a hole in Eugene's tank top.

Kyle lectured, "Keep your openings guarded because the enemy will attempt to exploit them, Eugene. What's more is that they will try being one step ahead of you thus you must do the same. Keep your opponent guessing on what your next move is and you'll survive." He blocked a strike aimed for his chest, "Never charge in recklessly because that will give him an opening to inflict possible life-threatening injuries." Kyle decides to use aggressive power attacks, swinging the glaive with fluidity.

All Eugene can do is block as best as he could though Kyle's brutal attacks were slowly tearing down his defense then he suddenly retracts the blades of his weapon and switch to his wrist blades. Taken by surprise Eugene backs up to avoid resembling a human chopping board, flashes of light were the only indication of the blades' path. With one ferocious cleave Kyle rips Eugene's blade out of his hands. The kinetic energy of the attack sends the young man off his feet when Eugene opens his eyes he's greeted with one of the glaive blades pointed at the bridge of his nose.

Kyle exhales and his eyes return to normal and backs up, allowing Eugene to stand. They put their weapons away.

The squadron leader sighed, "Your skills are improving steadily but you need to stay alert, Eugene. The enemy will pull out all the stops in order to defeat you. Also observe their fighting style, figure out what its strengths and weaknesses are, in turn finding ways to exploit those weaknesses. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Eugene nodded, "Yes, sir." They shower and change into regular clothes then head for the cafeteria to eat breakfast.

After selecting their meal, the two men sit at the table the Gisborn sisters and Tianlong Squadron were at.

Meia asked, "Where were you, Kyle? When I woke up, you weren't there."

Kyle answered, "I was helping Eugene perfect his close-range combat skills."

Eugene rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "And I still have ways to go."

Kyle sipped the last of his coffee, "At least you're improving. Be proud of it." Once it was clear of the plates, Kyle places his sword he later identified as a katana on the table.

Mori asked, "Where did you get that?"

The Aurelian said, "Believe it or not, the Paksis gave it to me. It said it would help guide me on the road to redemption. There's something else as well." He drew the blade and pointed at the kanji, "Do you know what these kanji mean?" Mori pulls the sword closer, studying the letters. Being Japanese she had a natural understanding of her country's handwriting.

Mori explained, "They translate to "He who lost everything dear to him must confront the demons tormenting him. Only through determination and courage can the darkness be purged and his mind at ease. When he achieves this, he is reborn". You said the Paksis gave this to you? Mind if I study it more, Kyle?" With his consent, the young Japanese woman examines the weapon.

Swords including the katana have an incredible history with Japan.

In mere seconds Mori was in awe at the blade's craftsmanship from the blade to the sheath. Everything was forged perfectly with no sign of defects.

Placing the sword back in the sheath, Mori returned it to Kyle, "That blade is one of a kind. You are one lucky guy, Kyle."

The Aurelian said, "There's something else I wanted to know. Tell me, do any of you know of the Paksis' origin?"

Mia shook her head, "Have no clue, my friend. One thing I do know is that no way mankind could have created the original Paksis even with the advanced technology."

Kyle cupped his chin, "I wonder if..." The alarm goes off signaling for yet another battle with the Harvesters.

The fighters take off and engage the cube-types.

Gryphus 1 combines his fighter with Barnette's Dread to form Ma'at.

The machine aims its high-powered rifle at some approaching cube-types and shoots them down with ease and readies its missiles, the launch ports on the shoulders open and multiple locks appear on the cockpit screen. Once they turn red the missiles are sent on their way toward the targets downing the cube-types before the pilots spot more cube-types launched from 5 Seed Ships. Unfazed by the sheer numbers Ma'at opens all of its missile ports and fires. The rain of steel heads toward the Harvest units and annihilates them.

Meia alerted, _"Barnette, Kyle, enemy's closing in from 6 o'clock!"_ Whipping around Ma'at fires its Gatling gun at that direction shooting Fakedread Meia down with lethal precision and dodges to the right at the last second to avoid having its left arm cut off but inadvertently released the rifle so it gets destroyed instead. This doesn't slow Ma'at down, however as it grabs Fakedread Dita with its hand and starts squeezing the metal bows inward from the increasing pressure and one final squeeze crushes Fakedread Dita's head in a shower of sparks and metal fragments. A barrage of bullets from Ma'at's Gatling gun destroys the Fakedread's body. Ma'at holds its left hand out and a medium-sized blue sphere appears and the charcoal gray red-trimmed machine grabs it, the sphere begins taking the form of the high-powered rifle that got destroyed moments ago. Once the rifle finished regenerating it regains the silver color it had before. Ma'at searches for more targets.

Catherine barrel rolls through enemy gunfire and retaliates with an AMRAAM but the MiG-29 she's targeting releases chaff to jam the missile's radar guidance system. Switching to the J-10's autocannon she closes the distance but the Fulcrum executes a hard right turn before Catherine could fire her autocannon. Matching the turn, Catherine fires the J-10's gun but the MiG-29 Fulcrum zigzags to avoid the bullets much to Catherine's surprise. Suddenly the missile alert sounds forcing her to break off the attack and deploy flares to divert a heat-seeking missile, however the missile warning remains as another heat-seeker heads for her direction and Catherine pops flares.

Mia urged, _"Catherine, get out of there! It's an ambush!"_ The British woman's eyes widen in shock and pulls evasive maneuvers to shake the missile off.

It works the heat-seeker loses sight of the J-10's IR signature and heads toward an unknown location. Taking a few calm breathes, Catherine switches her attention to the MiG-29 Fulcrum's wingmen. To her surprise, the enemy squadron had improved significantly in terms of team work, aircraft design, weaponry and maneuverability.

Gryphus 1 leads his squadron in protecting the Archangel upon discovering the enemy launching kamikaze attacks on the Gleipnir class airborne fortress.

Archangel shoots down ten of the MiG-21s with its AA weaponry but several more take their place and Gryphus Squadron splash any that get through Archangel's AA defenses but the enemy's persistent.

Crux said, "No matter how many we shoot down they keep coming back for more!"

Gryphus 2 advised, _"Don't get frustrated, Crux. That's what they want."_ His eyes detect movement to his 4 o'clock and a MiG-21 begins its kamikaze attack run though it doesn't get too close because Gryphus 2 makes it eat an XLAAM. Nine more MiG-21s fly through the smoke and start their attack run as well.

Crux soars past his squad mates and toward the incoming fighters, reaching the middle of the formation he releases an electromagnetic pulse from the E-3 Sentry II. The attack works temporarily shutting down the MiG-21s.

He told his squad mates, "They're all yours, guys." Escaping the group, Crux watches a bunch of XLAAM and AMRAAM missiles take down the targets generating fireballs that merged into a giant one.

Mori has trouble shaking off Fakedread Jura's crimson beams, barrel rolling through them and gets the missile alert soon after. She pops flares to divert an AIM-9X Sidewinder launched by an enemy F-15 Eagle despite this it fires its M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon, lethal 20mm bullets fly through space and initially clip her J-10 but soon start tearing off chunks of the jet's air frame. The bullets concentrate on inflicting damage behind the fuselage. Flames sprout and the J-10 begins spiraling out of control, Mori knows in mere moments her fighter jet will explode. Not wanting her life to end so soon she ejects and Vandread Dita catches her.

If she was flying through a planet's atmosphere, her pilot seat would have boosters attached and parachute but since it wasn't the case, the Nirvana engineers modified the seats of Tianlong and Gryphus Squadron so that explosive bolts would jettison the canopy and a jetpack would attach to the pilot's back and blast him or her into space.

Out of the corner of her eye she spots Catherine in the same predicament.

Catherine draws on her piloting experience to evade 30mm bullets the best she could but the MiG-31s chasing her are relentless, increasing their cannons' firing rate. The bullets start tearing away at the J-10's left wing until it's completely severed. The J-10 spins violently and Catherine hits the ejection button, explosive bolts detach the canopy and a jetpack secures itself on Catherine's body. She makes her way towards the Reg delivery ship that was sent out to retrieve her and grasps one of its arms. Vandread Dita and the Reg delivery ship head back to the Nirvana while Mia and some of the Dreads cover them.

Meanwhile, the enemy gives up its kamikaze attacks on Archangel and instead concentrates on the Nirvana.

Gryphus 1 saw it and ordered, "Bart, the enemy's coming at you from 12 o'clock high! Take them down!"

In the helm, Bart nodded, _"Roger that. Here we go!"_ He targets the approaching MiG-29s and fires the Nirvana's homing lasers, the aqua green beams of light move around friendly aircraft then destroy the Fulcrums.

As the fight drags on, it becomes clear that the Nirvana crew was slowly being overwhelmed by the Harvesters' ferocious not to mention persistent attack. It was obvious to the crew they have been a thorn in Earth's side for too long and the Harvesters are determined to end their lives.

Gryphus 1 notices a massive swarm of cube-types attacking Jura and not wanting his crew mate be killed, he activates the Optical Camoflauge and heads for the enemy's location. When he arrives, Gryphus 1 fires Fenrir's machine guns. The lasers bullets tear the cube-types apart like they were made out of paper.

He alerted the blonde-haired woman, "Heads up, Jura!"

Jura turned her head,_ "What?"_ A bright light appears the moment Fenrir comes into contact with Jura's Dread. When it dies down, a machine took its place.

Its red armor shined brightly against the fireballs that occasionally appeared, long silver hair framed a feminine face that had fair skin, blue eyes, a black bodysuit filled the gaps the red armor left, a shield rested on the left arm with a sword in it.

Mia gasped, "Another one?" Inside the newly formed machine, the pilots come to.

Jura takes in her surroundings realizing that she was sitting in a chair behind Gryphus 1.

Gryphus 1 chuckled, "I wonder how many machines Fenrir can make. What do you want to call this, Jura?"

The blonde-haired woman smiled, "Venus."

Gryphus 1 nodded, "I like the name, it fits this machine well. You focus on controlling the arms and I'll take care of flying Venus." A helmet forms out of light, covering Venus' head and the red mechanical knight draws its blade.

Locating its nearest target, Venus quickly closes the distance and slices a cube-type in half then raises its shield that somehow expands, adding better coverage from Fakedread Jura's red laser. Keeping the shield in front of it, Venus sets the boosters to maximum thrust and swings the sword in a cross pattern before the green machine could react.

Gryphus 2 watched Venus cut its enemies down with a chuckle, "You are full of surprises, Gryphus 1. How many units can your fighter create?" He hears the radar warning and shakes off an enemy missile lock.

Mia said, _"Focus, Gryphus 2. There's still a battle going on."_

The younger Aurelian smiled, "Sorry, Mia." Turning his F-22 around, he arms the last of his XLAAM on the cube-types in his vicinity and Mia did the same thing.

Evading cannon fire Gryphus 2 fires the M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon tearing the surviving MiG-29s apart.

Seeing the battle not going their way, the Harvesters look to escape but a laser barrage from the Nirvana stops them.

Gryphus 2 removes his helmet to wipe the sweat off his face.

He sighed, "Man, that was an intense battle. The Harvesters are getting more desperate by the day. They've even started using kamikaze attacks."

Mia said, "Considering how much of their forces we turned into junk piles, I can understand why." Later that day Alex sits in the cafeteria with a bunch of books about the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid. Mia was helping Alex in this hunt for the truth.

He learned about the asteroid in school and its discovery by the Shellsbridge University in October 1994.

With the aid of the University of Comona, they used computers to calculate its trajectory. A team of geologists and astronomers concluded that on December of the following years Ulysses, with a mile-wide diameter, had a high chance of colliding with the Earth. They stated the collision would have the force of 2 million nuclear warheads, plunging the planet into a nuclear winter.

As cities likely to be effected by the impact began evacuation procedures including building underground shelters, numerous defense proposals were debated. One of them proposed attaching a booster to the celestial body. A final defense proposal involved using Stonehenge, a network of railguns to combat Ulysses 1994XF04. Other weapons would be used as well including Megalith.

Just like the geologists and astronomers predicted, on June 3, 1999, Ulysses passed the Roche limit and broke into two halves which then broke into thousands of smaller fragments that showered the northern hemisphere. Stonehenge and Megalith engaged the smaller fragments, the former ensured a degree of safety against the impact for part of Usea. However urban areas like Anchorhead City and Saint Ark were annihilated by the impacts while other areas such as the eastern side of Newfield Island and the Erusean capital of Farbanti endured impacts that greatly altered their geography. The initial number of fatalities were half a million.

The aftermath of the catastrophe created a series of events across the planet, spanning a legacy that lasted nearly two decades. One of the most well-known events was the Usean Continental War.

Expedition teams discovered several craters in the northern hemisphere of Earth. 7 major impact craters were confirmed upon sight.

Anderson Crater was located 60 miles south of North Point, Krasinsky Crater was discovered on Mount Shezna, Mackenzie Crater at the Faith Park region, Goldberg Crater in the Whiskey Corridor, Ryker Crater in Farbanti, Antenora Crater in Sonne Island in north Estovakia and Rigel Crater located on Terminus Island.

Alex is so focused on the subject, he fails to hear footsteps coming toward his location.

A voice said, "Alex?" Out of instinct, the Aurelian whips around pointing his Beretta at the person. The person turns out to be Eugene who held up his hands.

Alex put his gun back in the holster, "You scared me, Eugene!"

The slightly older Aurelian said, "I was calling out your name but you didn't respond. What are you two doing?"

Alex replied, "Trying to discover the Paksis' origin. I have been thinking about this for the past week, Eugene. There's no way mankind could have created the Paksis even with the advances of technology over the years." Meanwhile, Mia reads a journal of the geologist who led the expedition team of the asteroid fragment that produced the Rigel Crater on Terminus Island.

With each journal entry she reads, the young woman begins to picture the expedition. Then one particular entry catches her attention.

Mia waved to the Aurelian pilots, "Alex, Eugene, look at this!" The said pilots came closer and Mia read the journal entry, "It's been five days since we arrived at Terminus Island. It's so cold here and the occasional wind storms made it so unbearable, we had to stay in our tents until the storm died down. On day six my team discovered a glowing aqua green light emanating from the snow. We used equipment to free the glowing object which turned out to be one of the many fragments of Ulysses 1994XF04. After doing measurements we concluded this fragment was the largest of the seven fragments we discovered, measure about 4 feet in diameter. After freeing it of the ice holding it, we did some tests on it and the results were astonishing. The fragment was harder than diamond and didn't contain iridium you normally find in asteroids. In fact the fragment didn't contain any of the elements found on the periodic table. I'm convinced the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid originated from another galaxy. I guess you can say it's of alien origin, begging us to wonder if we're alone in the universe. Since it had no name, we decided to give the fragment the code name "Paksis Pragma". The breakthroughs it could bring is unimaginable! It could generate energy several times more efficient than coal or natural gas. It could also revolutionize medicine, enabling us to treat certain diseases or infections that can't be cured with the medicine we have now. At the same time, I fear it will be used for military purposes. I pray that such a thing doesn't come to pass but it'd be wishful thinking on my end. If it were used as weapon it would be far worse than any nuclear weapon." Mia pauses to pop her neck.

Alex whistled, "Wow, this is juicy! So the Paksis came from another galaxy, eh? My hunch was correct, mankind didn't create it."

Mia read the next journal entry, "On the final day of our expedition, we decided to take a piece of the Paksis back to Griswall for further study. Once we returned to the capital and headed to our research lab, the news mentioned that some people wanted the impact sites restored to their regular condition but fierce opposition from environmentalists shot down the idea and the craters were left alone. Over the following weeks, they became tourist attractions. As for us, we continued our research of the Paksis fragment and uncovered more surprises that I shall keep secret for my gut tells me terrorists or some other country's military will use it to launch attacks on Aurelia." The light blue-haired pilot sighs after closing the book.

Eugene looks at his watch and saw it was 6:00pm.

He said, "We better clean this table up because it's dinner time."

Mia and Alex gather the books and stand up.

Alex said to Mia, "We shall keep these in our room for now. Maybe tomorrow we'll mention this to Kyle, Mori and Catherine."

Eugene blinked in surprise, "What? You're sleeping in Mia's room?"

Alex sweat dropped, "Uh, yeah. Have been for about 6 months."

Mia rested her head on his shoulder, "I love Alex with all my heart. It races every time I'm with him. I am so happy he loves me back. We confessed our feelings for each other about 7 months ago."

Eugene slumped his shoulders comically and negative vibes radiated off him, "I'll admit I do have feelings for Jura but haven't told her yet. I do like her, you know? She's beautiful and strong in her own right. Her choice of clothing is kind of questionable, though."

Alex placed a hand on Eugene's shoulder, "Tell her how you feel, man. If she doesn't feel the same as you do, you two can remain as friends. Don't let it hold you back." Mia sagely nods in agreement.

Eugene started, "But..."

His friend interjected, "No buts, pal. Confess your feelings to Jura and see where it takes you." Hearing distant chatter getting closer they finish gathering their things and have dinner.

That night Alex lays on the bed staring at the ceiling.

'This has been an eventful day. First the Harvesters used kamikaze attacks on the Archangel but failed to destroy her followed by Fenrir combining with Jura's Dread to create the female mechanical knight Venus and finally we discovered the Paksis lied dormant inside the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid which originated from another galaxy. Dita would go crazy if she heard this, being the UFO nut she is.' He thought.

The bathroom door opens and Mia steps out wearing her sleepwear which was of black sweat shorts and red tank top.

'I don't even want to know.' Alex though over his lover's choice of sleep attire.

Mia joins him on the bed and gives him a loving kiss before laying down and places an arm on his chest.

Alex said, "Hey Mia, there's something I want to know."

Mia looked at him, "What is it?"

Alex asked her, "They say someone's eyes are the window to their soul. What do you see when look at me?"

The young Dread pilot answered, "When I look into your eyes I see a man radiating courage, loyal to his comrades, keeps looking forward despite the obstacles and wanting his squadron leader make peace with himself."

Alex smiled, "That's one way of putting it. When I look into your eyes I see the exact same thing. Are we kindred spirits or something?"

Mia giggled, "Who knows?" She cupped Alex's face and gazed into his hazel eyes, "I love Alex Irvine."

The young man replied, "Same here, Mia Gisborn." He kisses her and closes his eyes to sleep with Mia joining him seconds later.

A/N: Chapter 6 done.

Kyle helped Eugene in order to improve his close-range combat skills, weapons or not. He then asked Mori what the kanji on his kitana said.

The Harvesters tried using kamikaze attacks on Archangel but they failed thanks to Gryphus Squadron and Gryphus 1's fighter combined with Jura's Dread to form Venus.

Finally Mia, Alex and Eugene discovered that the Paksis lied dormant inside the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid that originated from another galaxy. The latter serves as bonding time between Alex and Mia. Might not be the best but I try.

From what I know is that it's never mentioned in the Vandread anime specifically about the Paksis' origin. I've read the manga version and it didn't mention it either.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 7.

Vader 23A


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Startling Discovery

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Alex wakes up and rubs the sleep out of his eyes, sitting up he stretches hearing the bones pop. Turning his head, Alex sees Mia still sleeping.

He gently shook her, "Wake up, sleepy head."

Mia moaned sleepily, "Just five more minutes."

Alex chuckled, "It's 8:00am, beautiful." Mia mumbles something then sits up, rubbing her eyes.

The Dread pilot stretches and lets out a cute yawn that made Alex smile, Mia stands up and heads for the bathroom removing her tank top and closing the door behind her. Once she's done getting ready for the day, Alex takes his turn. Donning a fresh set of clothes he joins Mia in wandering through the hallway.

They meet up with Kyle halfway toward the cafeteria, telling him what they discovered yesterday about the Paksis' origin.

Kyle's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "The Ulysses asteroid contained the Paksis?"

Mia nodded, "Alex and I were shocked as well when I read the journal entry of the leader of the expedition team at Terminus Island. It gets interesting when the guy mentioned the breakthrough of energy generation or medicine the Paksis could have."

Kyle said, "I feel a 'but' coming on."

Alex sighed, "The writer mentioned it could be used for terrorism or military purposes. He prayed that it won't happen."

'Breakthrough in medicine, huh?' Kyle thought with interest.

Mia finished, "The expedition team leader also mentioned he made additional discoveries about the Paksis fragment they returned to Aurelia however he kept them secret. That means we don't have any further clues about the Paksis."

Kyle closed his eyes for a second before opening them again, "It's better than nothing." His accompanying friends don't see the flash of pain through his blue-gray eyes at the mentioning of Aurelia. He missed his country a lot, the peace he felt was very comforting. That pain turns into anger when Diego Navarro manipulated Leasath into invading Aurelia, its largest benefactor in aid for the sake of amassing large amounts of money for Fenrir's development. However, Kyle made sure that plan ended in failure.

Alex noticed his flight lead's distanced look and asked, "Something wrong, Kyle?"

Kyle sighed, "I wish Ken was here, Alex. The Harvesters are becoming more desperate in their attacks, hell they used kamikaze tactics on Archangel."

Mia said, "I don't know if the Paksis has enough power to transport him, guys."

Alex told her, "It brought us and Tianlong Squadron here. Why wouldn't it do the same for Ken? The Paksis is full of mysteries we're only beginning to unravel."

Mia shrugged, "I suppose you're right." Following breakfast, Duero types on the infirmary's computer in an effort to find information about Kyle's augmentation surgery. His mind told him that something went wrong during the surgery.

He quickly finds a file that contained the results of the surgery, his visible eye widens in shock at what he finds.

Kyle's operation was compromised by people working in the shadows, they created all the necessary needles and chemicals that would boost his physical properties to superhuman levels with hidden side effects that the surgeons weren't aware of. It was only two days after the surgery when the report was filed that they became aware of it. After discovering everything he needed Duero calls Magno, BC and Gascogne to the infirmary.

Magno asked, "Found something, doctor?"

Duero nodded, "Yes, captain. I was searching for any files related to Kyle's surgery and found something disturbing." He sets the contents of the files up on the monitor and the three read it over, their eyes fill with anger and shock.

BC asked, "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

Gascogne shook her head, "I'm afraid not, commander."

Duero said, "It gets worse. The side effects are increased levels of bloodlust, moments of intense anger that could give way to rage that becomes harder to control, heightened senses and complete loss of self-control if left unchecked. What's more is that over time, the mental stress could cause massive seizures or brain hemorrhages. To put it simply, the victim suffers a slow, painful death." Magno remembers the moment the Onryo Mode briefly possessed Kyle and caused him to almost kill Hibiki and Dita. It was only through Meia's invention that he came to his senses.

Magno asked, "Is there a cure for it?"

Duero shook his head, "Unfortunately no, there isn't."

Gascogne placed her hands on her hips, "That sucks. Does that mean it's only a matter of time before Onryo Mode possesses Kyle completely and have those symptoms you mentioned?"

The Tarak doctor nodded, "There's a high probability of it doing so. He's already experiencing the early stages." Magno silently prays that doesn't happen because Meia would be crushed if she heard that Magno was forced to end Kyle's life as mercifully as she could.

The alarm goes off and the crew knows what that meant.

Gascogne smirked, "Looks like the Harvesters are back for more already. I'm beginning to think they enjoy getting their asses kicked." The pilots head for their fighters and take off except Mori and Catherine, who are forced to stay on the Nirvana because their J-10s were destroyed in the previous engagement.

Meia ordered, "All units, commence attack! Engage the enemy but watch out for stealth bombers." Mia combines her Dread with Fenrir to create Amaterasu then aims the twin-barreled plasma rifle toward the group of cube-types coming from its 12 o'clock high and fires, the beams' intense energy vaporizes them within half a second along with a couple of Seed Ships. Amaterasu bring its shield to block Fakedread Meia's ramming attack then drives the plasma rifle through its chest, the barrels sticking out through the other end and the pilots fire. The evil red machine disintegrates inside the beam and there was no trace of it when the yellow-white beam dissipates.

Sensing danger behind it, Amaterasu turns around and kicks Fakedread Dita in the chest and puts the plasma rifle on the right hip before grabbing the evil counterpart of Vandread Dita in both hands, lifting it laterally before twisting and ripping the machine in half.

Gryphus 1 suddenly feels like his skull was being crushed underneath tons of bricks and held it, gritting his teeth.

Mia turned her head and asked in concern, "Kyle, what's wrong?" She noticed the glowing red veins marks forming, "Please not again."

Gryphus 1 said through the pain, "I won't let the Onryo Mode take me over this time. I refuse to hurt my friends!" Through sheer willpower, he makes the glowing vein marks disappear.

Mia asked, "Kyle?"

Gryphus 1 smiled at her, "I'm okay. Come on, we still have a battle to finish." Gryphus 2 releases flares to direct heat-seeking missiles away from his stealth fighter and swings around to bag a group of F-14 Tomcats with the XLAAM and takes evasive action when the missile warning sounds again, the chaff jams the enemy missile's radar guidance system and he barrel rolls through enemy gunfire.

Gryphus 2 grunted, "Screw this shit!" Deciding to press the attack, he readies the XLAAM again, 4 missile locks appear giving off that tone sound as they gain a lock.

Once it turns red, he pulls the trigger. The missiles scream toward the MiG-29 Fulcrums and blow them to bits, refusing to let up his attack Gryphus 2 somersaults and fires his F-22's M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon at the remaining Fulcrums, lethal 20mm bullets rip their air frames to shreds. When the enemy fighter cease exploding, Gryphus 2 looked at the HUD to locate more targets.

Vandread Dita rips open a Seed Ship and fires its laser cannons, the beams emerges from the other side. Seconds later, the ship explodes. The pilots feel the cockpit shake as the shiny blue Vandread gets hit in the back by missiles. Turning around Hibiki and Dita spot a dark version of Athena in its hawk form and readying its long-range swarm missile. After gaining the lock, it fires. The pod travels halfway towards the Vandread and then bursts open revealing hundreds of smaller missiles. Vandread Dita downs most of them but the remaining are closing fast, the pilots' eyes widen in terror.

Suddenly the Nirvana fires its homing lasers at the swarm missiles, downing them before they can hit Vandread Dita. The evil machine charges at the Vandread who connects a laser cannon to its right gauntlet, pulling the arm back and thrusts it forward once the dark red Harvester unit was within striking distance but the Athena look-alike dodges at the last second. Swinging around, it transforms into the robot form and pulls out its serrated whip, extending it to full length and wraps it around Vandread Dita's arm. It starts pulling trying to rip the arm out of its socket when the whip gets cut in half by a sword, Athena stands in front of Vandread Dita with both hands gripping the claymore.

Gryphus 1 takes a look at the enemy. It looked like Athena except it was male in appearance and body structure.

Narrowing its soulless black eyes, the machine named Deimos, growls furiously at Athena's intervention and draws its own claymore, this one had a black hilt and deep red blade.

Unleashing a roar, Deimos speeds toward Athena who raises its blade over the head and thrusts it downward, it's stopped by the opponent's claymore, the metallic silver of Athena's blade a stark contrast to Deimos' deep red blade. With their blades still locked, Athena kicks Deimos in the chest sending the dark machine back. Seeking to end this battle quickly, Athena thrusts the claymore intent on driving it through Deimos' chest but Deimos catches Athena's hand and slams its head against the majestic silver machine's head. Seeing a whole bunch of cube-types attempting to box it in, Athena pulls back, extends its whip to full length and wraps it around Deimos' waist then starts spinning in a tight circle. The momentum destroys the approaching cube-types and Athena yanks on the whip, pulling Deimos close and impales it on the claymore. The dark red machine struggles to free itself but Athena grabs the claymore's hilt with both hands and thrusts upwards, nearly splitting Deimos in half. Pulling back, Gryphus 1 and Meia see electrical arcing before the machine detonates.

Gryphus 2 works with Mia to take down a group of F-15 Eagles.

The fighters fire their respective guns while barrel rolling then switch to missiles. The F-15 Eagles have no time to react as the missiles slam into them, changing them into fireballs. Gryphus 2's HUD shows them more enemy fighters approaching from 3 o'clock high.

'When will these fools learn that they cannot win?' Alex thought with a smirk.

Gryphus 1 separates Fenrir from Meia's Dread and moves to intercept a squad of Su-37 Terminators attacking Dita's Dread.

Fenrir swoops in guns blazing, trying to get the enemy fighters off her and it works. The Su-37s break off their attack and Fenrir continues to approach Dita's Dread, that familiar light appears.

When it vanishes, a new machine takes its place.

It was feminine in appearance, wore a blue battle kimono with black under armor, a purple headband to keep its long blonde hair out of its pale face and its weaponry included a naginata to act as the primary weapon and a set of ninjato for close quarters combat.

The cockpit design was similar to Vandread Dita and the position of the pilots was also similar with Dita sitting on Gryphus 1's lap and hands intertwined.

Dita looked around, "This is just like the interior my Vandread has."

Gryphus 1 replied, "Eh, no matter. I'll call this machine Chang'e." The newly born unit watches some cube-types approaching its position and swings the naginata, turning them into scrap metal one by one. Spinning around it uses the pole part of the weapon to block a strike from another Deimos before using the momentum to push Deimos back.

Placing the naginata on its back, Chang'e pulls the dual ninjatos out and enters a ready stance with both blades pointing downward.

Unleashing a furious roar, Deimos seeks to remove its challenger's head but Chang'e forms an X with the ninjatos to block the downward thrust of the opponent's claymore. Refusing to let Chang'e mount a counterattack Deimos hammers away but Chang'e's defense holds up, batting Deimos away with tight, efficient parries. It brings the dual blades down to its waist to thwart a vertical strike that would have cut Chang'e in half had the machine not spotted it in time.

The battle intensifies and neither side seems to gain the upper hand resulting in frustration.

A wormhole appears out of nowhere and two airplanes emerge.

The first was a blue tinted ADF-01 Falken and the other three were J-20s.

The nose of the Falken opens and a laser is fired, the light pink beam of light pierces 3 Seed Ships with ease. When the laser stops, the Seed Ships explode.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot lays in a reclined position instead of the traditional sitting position in most fighter jets with his limbs extended, his arms resting on the armrests and controlling the Falken with only his thoughts.

A missile warning causes him to evade, the futuristic aircraft's amazing maneuverability allows it to shake off the missile and the pilot switches to missiles. Upon gaining a lock he fires, the missile obliterates the MiG-31 Foxhound.

Gryphus Squadron watches the Falken take the enemy on with lethal precision.

Gryphus 1 said, "I know those flying skills anywhere. Ken, is that you?"

Mobius 1's face appeared on a monitor, _"Hey, Kyle. Thought you could use a hand."_ With the arrival of the Falken and J-20s, the tide of battle turns in the Nirvana crew's favor.

Archangel points her 16" guns at the remaining Seed Ships and destroys them while the AA systems take care of any hostile units attacking her.

The crew spots the Harvesters mounting one final assault with a massive formation.

Gryphus 1 ordered, "All units, form up. We're finishing this in one strike." The Nirvana, Archangel, Dreads, Vandread Dita, Amaterasu, Gryphus Squadron, Falken and J-20s line up.

Amarone stated, _"Enemy is 2,500Gr and closing fast."_

Gryphus 1 said, "On my mark. 5,4,3,2,1, fire!" They unleash a massive rain of steel and lasers at the oncoming enemy formation.

A colossal explosion signifies the end of the fight.

The fighters return to the Nirvana and the pilots gather in the hanger to see their saviors.

The canopy to the Falken opens first and the pilot slides down a ladder, removing his helmet and showing his face to the crew.

Even though he recently turned 37 years old, his appearance hadn't changed.

He waved at his student, "Hello, Kyle it's good to see you again after 5 years." Ken's companion also removes his helmet showing his face to Tianlong Squadron, Mori and Catherine's eyes widen in shock at seeing their flight lead alive.

Tears formed in Mori's eyes as she said, "Is this real? Are you really here, Chang?"

The 28-year old man walked up to her and ruffled Mori's dyed hair, "I'm touching your hair, that alone proves I am very much alive."

Mori threw herself at him, "Chang!" The young Japanese woman cries happy that her friend had returned.

Catherine cries as well but she had more control over it and wipes the tears away, both her and Mori feeling the hole in their hearts beginning to heal.

Gryphus Squadron smiles at the tearful reunion, knowing that Tianlong Squadron is whole again.

After getting some unused bedrooms, Ken brings Kyle to the infirmary for something.

Kyle asked his mentor, "Did the Paksis bring you here?"

Ken nodded, "Yes, it contacted the Paksis fragment back in our dimension at Terminus Island. It also saved Chang and brought him back to recover before it sent us here. I was concerned about you, Kyle."

Kyle titled his head, "What do you mean?"

Duero said, "There's something I want to confirm, Kyle. Can you lie down, I wanna do a CAT scan on you."

Kyle asked, "What for?"

Duero replied, "You'll see." The Aurelian lays down and Duero activates the machine, the bed slides in and the CAT scan begins.

Duero watches the machine develop a picture of Kyle's skull and then spots something alarming. Turning off the machine, he displays the results on the monitor.

On the second picture that shows the right side of Kyle's brain, he spots a pulsating red light.

Kyle spotted it as well, "What is that?"

Duero cupped his chin, "Just as I suspected." He looked at Kyle, "I was able to gain access to a file that contained the results of your augmentation surgery and turns out it was compromised by people working in the shadows. They constructed the needles and chemicals that were used in the operation and the surgeons had no idea of the side effects until two days later."

Kyle crossed his arms, "Shortly before my rampage on that Leasath controlled base, I did feel a spike of bloodlust and rage."

The doctor nodded then looked at the CAT scan picture, "During that moment this red Paksis fragment was forming inside your head. This is what's causing your increased level of bloodlust."

Kyle said, "I'm not sure about that. The bloodlust was more likely formed out of my desire for vengeance. It won't be sated until Francesca and Diego Navarro pay for their sins."

Duero stated, "Which brings me to my next suspicion. The side effects are taking their toll on your brain, Kyle. The mental stress gets worse over time and if the side effects aren't treated they can lead to massive seizures or brain hemorrhages, killing you as a result." That last bit of information disturbed Kyle.

He still had life ahead of him and didn't want it to end abruptly. He wanted to redeem himself of all the sinful crimes he committed.

Kyle asked, "Is there any way to get rid of the red Paksis fragment?"

Ken nodded, pulling out a vial containing an aqua green liquid, "This came from the Paksis fragment in Rigel Crater. Crazy as it sounds, the Paksis spoke to me saying you were in danger of losing total control of yourself. This liquid won't get rid of all the red Paksis shard but it will destroy it enough so that it won't pose a threat to you or anyone else from now on."

The Aurelian wondered, "Is there any side effects that I should be aware of?"

Ken shook his head, "No, this came straight from the Paksis. The very same thing powering the Nirvana. You'll feel a rush of heat followed by a cooling sensation, Kyle that means the serum is doing its job."

Kyle nodded, "If it will save me from those deadly seizures or brain hemorrhages then go ahead, Ken I trust you."

His teacher smiled, "Great!" He handed the vial to Duero, "Here you go, doc." Duero places the object inside the cartridge chamber of an injection gun and places it next to Kyle's left bicep. He squeezes the trigger and the contents of liquid exit the vial and enter Kyle's bloodstream.

Like Ken predicted, Kyle feels a surge of heat that made his skin turn red briefly then feels it cooling down again, meaning the serum was destroying the red Paksis fragment inside his brain.

He next feels a sense of calm flowing through him.

'Maybe now the Onryo Mode won't make me run amok.' Kyle mentally prayed.

Ken said, "There's something else you need to know. Turns out that in addition to your augmentation, Alex's surgery was all part of a secret project by the Gray Men. Their intention was to build an army of super soldiers and use them on the front line."

Kyle blinked in shock, "What? This was all part of some plan by these Gray Men? How did you find this out?"

Ken answered, "Chang dug up information about it. He was disgusted when he found out."

The younger pilot asked, "Who are the Gray Men?"

Ken shrugged, "Information about them is pretty spotty. The only thing I can say is that they had a lot of secret shit going on."

Kyle hopped off the bed, "Their successors are likely continuing their work. When I find them, I'll personally introduce them to my blades. A task I will find most satisfying. Anyway, thank you for getting rid of that red Paksis shard Ken. I'm forever in your debt." Ken and Duero watch him leave the infirmary.

That night finds Kyle and Meia sitting on their bed.

Meia said, "So all this time, it was the red Paksis causing you to go berserk?"

Kyle nodded, "Yep." He next donned a sad expression, "I miss my family so much. Their death left a hole in my heart that won't heal." Meia gently grabs Kyle's face and makes him gaze into her eyes.

She stated, "It hurts, I know but you mustn't forget them. They'll always be with you." Meia kisses him with love behind it and softly pushes him down onto the bed, one hand cupping his left cheek.

Separating from the kiss, Meia looks into Kyle's blue-gray eyes seeing desire, passion and hesitance.

Kyle asked, "What are you doing?"

Meia replied, "I've read that men and women express their love for each other intimately, I want to experience that."

Her lover said, "I don't know."

Meia smiled, "There's no need to be afraid, Kyle. You saved me from my fears, it's my turn to save you from your fear of intimacy. Let go of it and enjoy this moment." Hearing the sincerity in her voice told Kyle she was speaking the truth.

Setting their circlets on the nightstand, Meia readies herself for the night they'll remember forever.

(Lemon time. If you aren't 18 years of age or don't like this kind of stuff, stop here. For those who are 18 years old or don't care, read on.)

Straddling him Meia kisses Kyle again, adding passion to it and moans at the feeling of Kyle's hand running through her silky soft light blue hair. Pulling back from the kiss Meia sees desire in Kyle's eyes that burned with such intensity it put stars to shame. Sitting up the Dread leader removes her chest and shoulder padding and kisses her lover again, rubbing sensual circles on his clothed chest then separates to remove it. A hot blush appears on her face at the sight of Kyle's sculpted torso for the first time.

'I never knew the sight of a man's chest could be so exciting.' Meia thought.

Sitting up Kyle kisses Meia's neck earning a moan of pleasure from the Dread pilot and found the pulse in her neck, Meia's moans increase when Kyle focuses on that spot running her hands through his dark hair. She yelps when Kyle groped her breast.

Kyle heard the yelp and pulled away, "Sorry about that, Meia. Please don't hit me." Meia felt like her heart would be burst out of her chest at any moment.

The Aurelian watches Meia's hand grip the zipper to her flight suit and pulls it down until it reached her stomach and pulls her slender arms out of the sleeves, giving Kyle an unrestricted view of her chest.

Her breasts weren't too big or small, just the right size for her height and build. The pink nipples were already hard and begged for attention.

Meia didn't know where this boost of confidence is coming from but she was enjoying it. A smile forms on her face when Kyle kisses one nipple and tweaks the other with his finger, Meia grinds against the growing bulge in his sweat pants that further increases their desire for each other. Kyle flips them over and kisses the valley between Meia's breasts and stomach, earning him a giggle from her. The Dread leader wanted him to touch her like this for weeks and it felt good. Hooking his hands on the flight suit, Kyle pulls it down leaving Meia totally naked. Her body was absolutely breathtaking.

Her flawless pale skin caught the light from passing stars, it was creamy soft, her athletic figure added to her beauty, her curves were seductive and her legs were long and shapely.

Kyle can see juices leaking from her sacred place indicating how wet she was. He places Meia's legs on his shoulders and Meia throws her head back moaning loudly at the feeling of her folds getting the attention they desperately needed. She runs her hands through Kyle's hair and hissed every time he flicked his tongue over her clit, Meia bucks her hips to help Kyle go deeper.

She moaned, "Oh, Kyle. It feels so good! More! Give me more!" Her panting increases when he licks her faster and pinches her clit.

Meia clenches her teeth as she feels the approaching orgasm and moments later, it hit. Her juices fly out and Kyle takes in as much as he could, while Meia's recovering from her orgasmic high Kyle comes up and kisses her allowing Meia to taste her own juices turning her on even more. Wanting to return the favor, Meia flips them over so that she was on top again. She plants a quick kiss then mirrors his previous action and removes his remaining attire. Her red cheeks become redder if it was possible.

'So this is the tube between a man's legs.' Meia thought as she stared at Kyle's member standing in attention.

The light blue-haired pilot strokes it and hears Kyle moan, seeing that she's doing it right Meia continues stroking until an idea came to her. She places Kyle's cock between her breasts and starts moving, Kyle gasps at his manhood being massaged by Meia's soft assets. Over the next couple of minutes, the Dread pilot massages Kyle's member until she decides it was time to move on to the main event. Meia crawls up, kissing Kyle and hovers over his erection. She gives him a smile then lowers her hips feeling her vaginal walls stretch to accommodate his cock and grits her teeth when she feels her barrier give way. The pain was similar to an ant bite to Meia. She allows herself to get used to Kyle being inside her sacred place. The pain fades and is replaced by a craving she believed only Kyle could satisfy.

Meia starts rocking her hips back and forth, a feeling of euphoria flows through her and locks eyes with the man she fell in love with. Kyle holds Meia's shapely hips as she rides in slow movements, Meia lowers and they engage in a searing yet loving kiss while Meia kept moving her hips. Kyle relished in feeling Meia's tight, warm and smooth walls rub his member. The sound of flesh smacking flesh echoes throughout the room as Meia speeds up her thrusts making the young woman moan in pleasure.

Kyle sits up grabbing her butt cheeks and aids Meia in moving up and down his shaft, the Dread leader wraps her arms around his neck and presses her chest tightly against his steely form. They kiss heatedly.

Meia moaned, "Kyle..." How could someone like the Dread leader sound so sexy?

The light blue-haired Dread pilot feels Kyle's cock assaulting her G-spot repeatedly increasing the pleasure further.

But things, no matter how good, must come to an end.

Meia thrusts 5 more times before moaning loudly in climax. She feels Kyle empty his seed into her and her walls milk his cock for all it's worth. Her head lays on Kyle's shoulder as she recovers from her second orgasm. When she regains enough strength, Meia kisses her lover and they lay down on the bed with Meia laying her head on Kyle's chest and wrapping her leg around his.

Kyle said, "That was the most amazing thing I ever felt. Thank you, Meia."

Meia smiled, "Do you feel better?"

The Aurelian nodded, "Yes, I do. I'll remember this night forever."

Meia giggled, "So will I. Good night, love." Their eyes close as the grogginess of sleep overtakes them.

Elsewhere, Francesca felt the red Paksis' presence in Kyle disappear.

She growled, "Damn it, so close. How could it disappear so suddenly? Who was responsible? No matter. Once I find that person he will suffer the most painful, gruesome death!"

A/N: Chapter 7 done.

Duero discovered that the chemicals used in Kyle's surgery had side effects that would have eventually killed him.

Kyle combined with Dita's Dread to form Chang'e.

Mobius 1 and Chang arrived to help turn the tide of battle and Chang was reunited with his squad mates. Later Mobius 1 gave Duero the cure that would eliminate the red Paksis fragment in Kyle's head to the point where it won't pose a threat. After that, he revealed that in addition to Kyle's augmentation surgery, Alex's was part of the Gray Men's super soldier project.

Meia gave Kyle a night he will never forget and help overcome his fear of intimacy due to seeing his sisters being violated in front of him.

For those who don't know what the ADF-01 Falken looks like, look it up on the Ace Combat wiki.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 8.

Vader 23A


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Liberating a Planet Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

One month later shows the Nirvana continuing its journey back to Tarak/Mejale territory while facing the Harvesters. Despite the arrival of Ken and Chang, problems remained on Kyle's part.

It seems that even after the reunion, the Chinese man still hadn't progressed in his relationship with his squad mates something that frustrated Kyle. After a heated verbal exchange, Kyle left the cafeteria before he assaulted Chang.

So right now, he was throwing rocks into the pond an angry frown on his face.

Flashback

_Kyle crossed his arms, "Seriously, Chang the Paksis saved your ass but you still haven't improved your relationship with Mori and Catherine? Second chances aren't meant to be wasted."_

_Chang fired back, "Easy for you to say, Kyle. I grew up with a strict childhood! I rarely got free time to do whatever I wanted. Whenever I did have free time, I spent it with Mori."_

_Kyle challenged, "How? Did you go see a movie?"_

_Chang challenged, "Oh yeah? Did you spend time with your sisters whenever you didn't have school? What would they say if they saw you like this: a bloodthirsty demon?"_

_The Aurelian's eyes flashed dangerously, "I suggest you change your tone immediately."_

_Chang taunted, "Or what? You gonna kill me if you don't?"_

_Ken said, "That's enough, you two. We're supposed to work together here not be at each other's throats."_

_Kyle looked at his mentor, "Not if your buddy here changes his relationship with his squad mates. Do you have any idea how badly effected Mori and Catherine were as they saw you supposedly die, Chang? They cried their hearts out. They told us everything including how the squad was formed."_

_Chang said, "Maybe it'd be better if you were not leader of Gryphus Squadron."_

_Kyle's eyes widened before he snarled, "What did you say to me?! I led my squadron through victory after victory during the Aurelian War! Hell, my actions spurred the Aurelian soldiers who surrendered earlier in the war to fight again. Where were you the day a vision of hell rained down on my hometown?! On a pleasure cruise? You know what, go fuck yourself! Hope when you die the Paksis won't save you again!" The Aurelian stomps out of the cafeteria._

End of flashback

Kyle growled, "Who does that prick think he is, thinking I'm not worthy of leading Gryphus Squadron."

A voice asked, "Are you?" Kyle turns around to see Eugene and Jura, the former giving him a questioning look.

Kyle frowned in a threatening manner, "Could you repeat that?"

Eugene sighed, "Look at your erratic behavior, Kyle. You're prone to angry outbursts, obsessed with revenge and have no consideration about the effects your choices make. Need I say more?" Despite the fierce glare directed at him from his flight lead, Eugene wasn't backing down.

Jura placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't you think you're going overboard, Eugene? This is your flight lead after all."

Eugene shook his head defiantly, "No. This isn't the Kyle I know. Nobody would wallow in self-pity like the man standing before me is doing. You keep convincing yourself that once you kill Francesca and Diego Navarro everything will be okay. Have you ever considered the fact that it'll might make you feel worse?"

Kyle fired back, "If I don't kill them, they'll haunt me forever! Do you know how much those two have hurt me? The very thought of them walking among the goddamn living is constant torment to me! When I cross paths with those fiends, don't even bother trying to stop me! I will have my revenge!" That statement causes Eugene to frown.

The former AWACS operator said, "Your personal demons are worse than originally thought." Out of perhaps fear or self-hate, Kyle grabs Eugene's shirt.

The young pilot stated, "Were you forced to watch your sisters being raped and murdered in front of you and then see you hometown being virtually wiped off the map? I've got no family now. I will never forgive myself for it."

Eugene replied without fear, "I'm sorry you lost your family, Kyle, I really am. The price you are willing to pay is too much. A revenge-filled heart will destroy itself! Have you learned nothing over the course of this journey?" The Gryphus Squadron leader doesn't respond and releases him.

Seeing that he's proven his point, Eugene and Jura turned around to leave but then the young man looked over his shoulder, "You don't have to burden this on your own, Kyle. Allow us to shoulder that burden with you. That's what friends are for." When they left his field of vision, Kyle falls to his knees punching the ground.

He never mentioned this to anyone but he began having doubts about his ability to lead Gryphus Squadron. Ever since the Onryo Mode briefly possessed him, he felt conflicted with himself.

Was his desire for revenge so great it was starting to drive a wedge between him and his squadron?

He whispered, "Mother, father, what should I do?"

Back with Eugene and Jura, the blonde-haired Dread pilot said, "That was extremely ballsy of you, I never thought you would stand up to Kyle."

Eugene sighed, "Trust me I was scared beyond belief, Jura. It was something that needed to be done though. Kyle needed a dose of reality smacked into him."

Jura said, "That was still very manly of you." That took Eugene by surprise. He never imagined getting a praise from the Dread pilot

The former AWACS operator said, "Thanks, I guess. It means a lot."

Kyle sits in the Nirvana's garden looking out the giant observation window tears slowly well up in his eyes.

A Japanese voice said, "Kyle-kun, what's wrong? You're crying." Kyle sits up wiping the tears from his eyes before spinning around to see who was talking to her.

It was the female members of Tianlong Squadron.

Kyle lied, "Just letting them out. Sometimes your emotions grow to the point where you need to let them out through crying, you know?"

Mori replied, "Did you get into a fight with Chang?"

The Aurelian pilot asked, "How did you know?"

Catherine replied, "We overheard some crew members talking about it. Chang may be a calm but somewhat stern individual but he's a good man."

Kyle rolled his eyes, "Wish he could improve his relationship with you two. I hoped that his near death experience would teach him the meaning of trust between squad mates. Not to mention his dedication to beating Ken which will never happen." He then spotted flashes of light ahead of the Nirvana, "Huh? Looks like a battle's going on." As the ship gets closer a large Earth-like planet comes into view.

It was almost 3 times the mass of Earth, 4 times larger and had a larger, thicker atmosphere though Kyle, Mori and Catherine could see one giant ocean and continents though the exact number was unknown due to the cloud cover. Its parent star was a red dwarf and was inside the "habitable zone" where liquid water and life can exist. The Super-Earth had two moons orbiting it.

The first moon was about the same size as Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede and the second was the size of Mercury.

Outside the planet's orbit the inhabitants were battling the Harvesters.

A squadron of armored black robots with the emblem of warrior similar to the Roman gladiators except the emblem's wore back armor intercepted a modified Harvest flagship.

The squad leader aims its high-caliber sniper rifle at the Harvest flagship's cannon, waiting for it to charge while its wingmen use their weapons of choice.

The squad leader ordered, "Chopper, target the flagship's AA defenses."

Chopper acknowledged, _"Roger that, Captain."_ He performs a strafing run on the AA guns, the robot's powerful boosters allow it to speed through the anti-aircraft fire.

He fires his robot's M-134 minigun at the AA guns, the bullets destroy them with ease before the robot whips around to grab hold of Fakedread Meia by the head and fills its red body full of lead at point-blank range, the force behind each impact pushes the Fakedread back until it explodes then backhands Fakedread Dita.

A third black robot stabs the blue and red Fakedread in the back with its beam saber, the blue beam exits through the other side. The precision of the stab meant it struck the evil machine's power source. Placing its foot on Fakedread Dita's back, the fighter pushes it off and Fakedread Dita explodes.

The pilot of the third robot alerted, _"Blaze, the Harvest flagship's charging its cannon!"_

Blaze smiled, "Thank you, Grimm." A scope lowered into Blaze's view, "Adios, shithead." She pulls the trigger and the armor-piercing bullet punches through the Harvest flagship's hull at high speed. Additional rounds from the sniper rifle damages the enemy cannon enough so that it can't fire.

Grimm sets his unit's boosters to full power, the robot speeds toward the Harvester flagship and switches the power levels to as high as it can get. The beam saber gets covered in an ethereal blue color and lengthened, the blade is raised over the wielder's head then swings it forward dissecting the flagship completely in half.

The fourth and final black robot aims its shotgun at the MiG-31s approaching her and fires, the explosive rounds trash them on impact. A surviving piece of wreckage comes toward the pilot and she uses her shotgun as a makeshift baseball bat, whacking the piece of debris to a Seed Ship that explodes seconds later.

The Nirvana crew watches the unknown fighters annihilate the Harvest invaders until the last Seed Ship is no more.

Magno commented, "That was impressive. They took the enemy down with no difficulty." She next hears Amarone's bridge control console beep.

The dark-haired bridge bunny said, "Captain, we're being hailed by the unknown fleet."

Magno ordered, "Put it on the main monitor."

Amarone nodded, "Understood, captain." She establishes communication with the victorious fighters.

The squadron leader appeared on the monitor, _"Unidentified aircraft you are trespassing our airspace, state your purpose for being here."_

'They mean business.' Alex thought.

Magno cleared her throat, "My name's Magno Vivian, leader of the Mejale space pirates. We have been fighting the forces of Earth along our way home to Tarak and Mejale."

Another Razgriz pilot popped up on the monitor saying, _"Those planets, huh? If you know what's good for you, leave immediately. Our planet has enough trouble with the Harvest we don't need space pirates making things worse."_

Blaze said, _"Stand down, Edge. We'll escort you to the supercarrier Avenger her captain will speak with you there. But if you try anything stupid, we won't hesitate in killing you. Got it?"_

Magno nodded, "Completely." Razgriz Squadron escorts the Nirvana and Archangel toward the Avenger, the giant vessel's silver hull a stark contrast to the blackness of space.

The ship was 1,110 feet long, nearly 270 feet high and had a displacement of 102,000 tons.

Magno, Ken, BC and Gryphus Squadron board a shuttle and land on the Avenger's flight deck then after a short elevator ride, they reach the bridge.

It was wide and spacious with the radio operator, helmsman, bridge bunnies, command and captain all in their assigned stations.

An armed guard brings them to the ship's captain.

She was around 5'9, looked to be in her mid 20s, bob-cut styled red hair, blue eyes, fair skin tone and shapely body. She wore the attire the captain of a ship would wear.

The captain said, "Sorry about Edge's outburst. The attacks launched by Earth has left us a little paranoid. We've been at war with the Harvesters for about five years now. My name Kasumi Toyotoma, captain of the OSN Avenger."

Magno nodded, "My name's Magno Vivian, leader of the Mejale space pirates. These companions I brought along are my second in command BC, Ken Kitsuragi a.k.a. Mobius 1, Kyle Masterson, Eugene Solano and Alex Irvine though you might know them as Gryphus Squadron."

Kasumi intertwined her fingers, "Ah, Nemesis and the Grim Reaper. Two of the most feared fighter pilots the universe has ever seen."

One bridge bunny said, "Nemesis? I thought he went by the nickname the Southern Cross." Kyle takes in their chatter with a stoic expression on his face.

Her friend replied, "Southern Cross, Nemesis, Ghost of Aurelia, he's all of those things."

Kasumi took over, "I take it your home worlds are facing the same threat as us?"

Magno nodded, "Yes though they're not aware of it. That's why we are heading back, to warn them."

BC added, "We noticed your fighters aren't military planes like Gryphus Squadron, Tianlong Squadron and Ken have."

Blaze informed, "The Harvesters launched a surprise attack on our bases where the planes were and destroyed them. We spent the next two years building those robots you saw out there."

Ken stepped forward, "If it's okay with you, Captain Kasumi we have a deal you might find interesting."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes cautiously, "What kind of deal?"

Ken offered, "Allow us to help you rid of the Harvesters in this solar system and in turn we gain your trust."

The Avenger's captain looked skeptical, "How can I be sure this isn't some trick?"

Ken said, "Because if we had ill intent, you'd kill us on the spot. Besides we need all the allies we can get in preparation for the final battle with Earth." Kasumi closes her eyes thinking the offer over.

Opening them again, she said, "Let me discuss it with my commander, Mr. Kitsuragi. In the meantime, feel free to explore the ship but I'm warning you right now. If you think of taking this ship for yourselves, I will have you executed. Is that clear?"

Magno nodded, "Crystal." Leaving the two alone, Magno and BC return to the Nirvana while Gryphus Squadron and Ken stay on the Avenger, getting to know the crew better. They soon meet up with Razgriz Squadron again.

Blaze stood at 6'1, black hair that went slightly past her lower jaw, fair skin, around 23 years old, purple eyes, 42D cup breasts and athletic build. Her attire consisted of a shirt that left her midriff exposed, hot pants that showed off her beautiful legs blue and white shoes and socks. Her attire gave her that boyish look but from what Ken read in a fashion magazine at one point, women donning the boyish look meant they were showing off their feminine charms. However, Blaze had an aura that warned Ken not to mess with her.

Edge was around 5'7, long auburn hair that went slightly past her shoulders, green eyes, moderately tanned skin, 38B cup breasts, 22 years old and athletic build like her flight lead. Her clothing was composed of her flight suit pulled down to her waist and white tank top. She currently had her arms crossed and was giving the guests a wary stare.

Chopper was the tallest of the group at 6'3, short black hair, fair skin, black eyes and 21 years of age. He wore a red shirt that displayed his ripped physique, black jeans secured by a belt, neatly polished brown shoes and socks.

Archer was the youngest at 19, stood at 5'8, short brown hair, amber eyes, fair skin and had more of a slim build. He wore a blue T-shirt, charcoal gray jeans, red with gray trimmed shoes and socks.

Blaze said, "I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Ashley, no last name and go by the call sign Blaze during battle. I pilot the black robot Dead Eye due to my deadly accuracy."

Edge took over, "My name is Katherine Nagese, call sign Edge. I fly the unit Phantom because my unit moves so fast it makes the enemy think they were killed by an actual phantom. Force yourself on me and I'll kick your ass." Ashley sweat drops at the proclamation.

Chopper was next, "My name is Brent Davenport, call sign Chopper. I pilot the robot Bulls Eye due to the fact my shots never miss."

Archer waved at them, "Name's Leo Grimm, go by the call sign Archer during battle. I fly the unit Devastator because it's the most powerful of the four."

Blaze took over, "Together we make up Razgriz Squadron."

Eugene's eyes light up, "Razgriz Squadron? As in the infamous Razgriz Squadron?"

Ken raised an eyebrow, "You know them?"

Eugene whipped around, "Who doesn't? They are quite possibly the most famous fighter squadron Osea has ever seen! During the war against Yuktobania, they sunk their two most powerful submarines earning them the nickname the "Demons of Razgriz". However, sometime toward the war's end they were framed as spies and were shot down but it was a setup by Captain Anderson of the Kestrel. Reborn as the Ghosts of Razgriz, they discovered Belka orchestrated the war between the two countries as revenge for the humiliation they suffered during the Belkan War in 1995. I read about it in a book about the Circum-Pacific War once. I could go on talking about it but you'd fall asleep if I did."

Ashley said, "We chose to name our squadron after them as a way of honoring our ancestors. Despite what some people think, they did the right thing."

Kyle introduced, "My name's Kyle Masterson, call sign Gryphus 1 and leader of Gryphus Squadron. The two men behind me are Alex Irvine and Eugene Solano, my wingmen and the big guy to my left is my teacher Ken Kitsuragi otherwise known as Mobius 1."

Ashley smirked, "So the Grim Reaper and Nemesis grace us with their presence." She heard the earpiece in her right ear beep and answered it, "Ashley here."

Kasumi said, _"It's me. I finished discussing Mr. Kitsuragi's proposal about forming an alliance with my commander I accept his terms. Relay the message for me."_

Ashley nodded, "Aye-aye, captain." Ending the transmission she looked at the group, "Our captain has accepted Ken's proposal of forming an alliance with us."

Ken smiled, "Excellent!" They return to the Nirvana and inform Magno, the elder pirate was happy that the negotiation went smoothly.

A while later, the crew's offered to come down to the planet's surface after getting an injection that will help them cope with the rocky world's surface gravity which was 3.3 times that of Earth's. Some of the crew remain on the ship in case the Harvesters attack.

Ashley gives Alex, Mia, Kyle, Meia and Ken a tour of the city. The sky was a red tinted color and somewhat dark because of the red dwarf's low luminosity and it was only noon.

She explained, "Our original home planet was destroyed by the Harvesters so our ancestors found this planet during the Colonization Era, they named it Gaia. There are 8 continents in total with Osea and Erusea being the largest, you're standing in Aured, the capital. The atmospheric composition is similar to Earth's albeit slightly higher in the percentage. Due to the planet's large size it was able to retain its heat long after its formation thus has intense tectonic activity. We sometimes experience earthquakes 7.0 or larger and have the largest volcanic islands found in this sector of the universe, to the southern end of Osea lies a huge volcanic mountain range with numerous volcanoes ranging from cinder cones to stratovolcanoes of varying sizes. The largest is Mount Erebus measuring in at 5 miles high, it erupts on average every 10 years and has a history of producing large eruptions that destroy it. Later eruptions rebuild the cone. Due to the larger, thicker atmosphere Gaia reflects most of its parent star's light which keeps the average surface temperature around 60 degrees Fahrenheit year round. During summer, it only gets to 72 degrees. The weather system can be severe at times. We occasionally experience violent storms that can last for three weeks. Fortunately we developed flood control systems to counter it. A day here on Gaia lasts only 18 hours due to the planet's fast rotation speed."

Mia asked, "How can you see in this dim light?"

Ashley smirked, "Evolution, girl. Over time we adapted to the planet's gravity and developed eyesight that can put a cat to shame. Due to the tidal locking with our parent star, this side of Gaia is in daylight while the other faces permanent darkness. We developed enhanced eyesight to combat bright lights while creatures on the night side of Gaia developed very impressive night vision. One major advantage that red dwarfs have over other stars is their longevity, they are fully convective thus don't accumulate helium in their cores like other stars. The slower fusion rate is an added bonus, they can live for trillions of years. At the same time, it's a drawback. The low mass and core temperature means the red dwarf gives off less light hence the reason behind our highly developed eyes. Our parent star throws out flares every 11 years, however Gaia generates an extremely powerful magnetic field that shields us from it."

Alex stated, "I thought a planet's internal structure was divided into layers with a liquid outer core driving the field."

The leader of Razgriz Squadron shrugged, "Our planet lacks that trait and only has a rocky Earth-like core. There's magnesium oxide in a liquid metal state at the high temperatures and pressure in the mantle, the magnetic field is generated that way. My father was a science geek, he told me bedtime stories about it."

Ken said, "I'm taking a guess here and say the Harvesters are after your eyes. Am I right?"

Ashley nodded, "You are correct." The tour continues for another hour before the group splits up.

Mia spots a clothing store and drags Alex in.

She picks out various clothing and slips inside the changing room closing the curtain behind her. Alex waits outside bored out of his mind, his gut tells him they were going to be in here for a while.

Mia poked her head out of the curtain, "Hey, Alex." She stepped out and showed off her new attire, "Tell me, what do you think?" She wore a set of black lingerie composed of silky transparent nylons that showed off her legs attached to a garter belt and corset that lacked the shoulder straps.

She leans forward to give Alex a better view of her breasts, it left him gaping like a fish making Mia grin in victory. She vanishes behind the curtain again before emerging again wearing a pair of black lace undergarments teasing the young pilot more.

Alex said, "Damn it, woman stop teasing me! The other customers will get the wrong idea." His declaration falls on deaf ears because Mia puts on another set of clothing, this time it was composed of a red V-shirt that showed off respectable amount of cleavage, black miniskirt, gray thigh-high stockings and black high heels.

Mia asked him, "What about this one?"

Alex deadpanned, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" His response was Mia giggling, "Yes, you are." After a few more teasing sessions plus a make out inside the changing room, Mia pays the cashier and they leave the store with Alex carrying the bag making him mentally groan. Alex stopped their make out before it got more heated because he wanted to save that for later and didn't want to get into trouble with the store owner.

They stop for a break, Alex gets them some bottled water.

Sighing in content, Mia rested her head on Alex's shoulder, "It's rather peaceful here, isn't it? Aside the fact these people are fighting their hardest to repel the Harvesters."

Alex nodded, "I agree. Wouldn't mind living here after the war's over. Hey Mia, if by some chance me, Kyle, Eugene, Tianlong Squadron and Ken return to our time line, would you come with us?"

Mia smiled, "I gladly would. You're the love of my life, Alex. When I'm with you, it feels like I can do anything. Do you think Kyle will overcome the lingering guilt he constantly feels?"

Her lover said, "If anyone deserves forgiveness, it's him. Picture yourself in his shoes. Your sisters get raped and murdered in front of you, your hometown gets virtually wiped off the map, your left arm severed two-thirds below the elbow and nearly immolated only to be saved through biological augmentation surgery that had hidden side effects. To finish it off, you receive the shattering news that your mother and adopted sister were caught in the bombing raid and died. Would you be overwhelmed by grief and wanted to punish those who hurt you?"

Mia's smiled disappeared, "I guess so."

Lifting the light blue-haired woman's head to stare into her eyes Alex said, "I care about him not as my squadron leader but as his friend. Currently have no idea on what to do but I'll think of something."

Mia smiled again, "That's really sweet of you, Alex."

Alex shrugged, "I do my best." Mia gives a quick peck then lays her head on his shoulder again, relishing in his company.

On the Nirvana, Eugene is currently drawing a picture of Jura who was sitting on the bench in the Nirvana's garden in a dignified manner with her hands on her lap, one leg resting on the other and giving him a radiant smile. Catherine was with him to oversee the picture drawing while giving pointers on correcting the errors he makes along the way. Given how well Catherine drew, it was the logical choice to have her as his mentor.

The picture was drawn on a big, vertical rectangular-shaped piece of paper sitting on a wooden stand that painters use.

Eugene takes the occasional peeks to make sure he's drawing right.

Jura said, "It's amazing that you found that drawing supply kit in that supply room. Never imagined you'd have an interest in drawing."

Eugene replied, "I did at one point. Guess my calling to be an AWACS was stronger than it."

Catherine commented, "You're doing great, Eugene. Take your time."

The former AWACS operator said, "Almost done. Now to finish the hair." He takes extra care of drawing the blonde locks on Jura's head.

Once he was finished with it, he places the finishing touches on his picture adding shadowing of different shades. Setting the pencil back in the kit resting on the stool, Eugene sees Catherine giving her nod of approval at the finished product.

She stated, "You did well on your first drawing."

He showed the picture to the blonde-haired Dread pilot, "So Jura what do you think?" The young woman stares at the picture with an analyzing expression.

Seeing her expression Eugene said, "Sorry if it's not in color, it's my first drawing. I'll add color to future drawings."

Jura shook her head, "No worries. Practice makes perfect as they say."

Eugene sighed in relief, "Glad you like it." When he looks up he spots Jura in front of him grabbing his shoulders then pulls him forward to plant her lips on his.

Catherine shook her head playfully before walking away, "Get a room, you two." Breaking the kiss, Eugene had a bright blush on his face.

Jura blushed, "I need to deny my feelings no longer, Eugene. I love you very much." She gave him a shy smile, "Having you men among the crew made me understand that they were nothing like my Ohma told me." Back on Gaia, Kyle was following a scientist to the lab he had the cloaking device on rendering him invisible to normal means of detection.

He stops moving when the scientist looks both ways before sliding his ID card into the card reader, the light flashes green and Kyle follows him in. Entering the elevator, Kyle remains quiet during the whole trip. Reaching the first basement floor, the elevator doors open and the scientist walks out unaware of the fact someone was stalking him. Hiding behind the wall, Kyle sticks his head out to watch his prey enter the lab. Once the man steps inside and the door closes, Kyle approaches the window.

His helmet begins scanning the occupants until the data tells him these scientists are descendants of the Gray Men continuing their super soldiers program. Kyle felt his bloodlust stirring as he listens in on a conversation between two scientists. It was nothing good, that much he can tell.

'So these pricks intend on turning innocent civilians into biological augmented killing machines. I'll kill them before that happens!' Kyle thought clenching his fists.

(This will get briefly graphic. Those under 18, turn away now.)

With his decision made, Kyle kicks the door off its hinges like it was nothing and steps into the lab wrist blade drawn to full length. He walks toward his cowering victims.

One scientist makes a break for it but Kyle grabs his neck and pulls hard eventually ripping his head and spine from his body, a fountain of blood stains Kyle's g-suit before he crushes the skull in his hand. He trips another fleeing target and upon turning onto his back, the scientist screams in horror before Kyle's wrist blades gouge his eyes out. Behind his visor the Aurelian wears a cold, remorseless expression on his face as each scientist fall victim to his bloodlust. He throws another scientist over the table sending vials full of chemicals crashing to the ground walking up to his downed form, Kyle punches the man's face in with roars of unrestrained fury. His bloodlust growing stronger, the Aurelian deactivates the cloaking device allowing the surviving scientists look upon their killer.

Kyle said coldly, "The punishment for traitors to mankind in addition to supporters of the Harvest is death." Drawing his glaive he advances menacingly.

A young scientist took off yelling, "Have mercy!" He makes it through the door but doesn't go any further because Kyle throws his glaive, impaling the man to the wall. Looking at the remaining scientists, he pulls the pin to a grenade and throws it. The weapon rolls its way to them and Kyle watches it detonate, turning the scientists into bloody chunks of flesh along with setting the lab on fire. The armored g-suit protected him from the blast, heat and shards. Turning on his heel, Kyle makes his way to the exit retrieving his glaive.

The elevator bell chimes and Kyle spots armed guards exiting the elevator. He pulls out a pair of discs that had razor-sharp blades on them and throws the lethal weapons at them, the guards only have enough time to scream before the discs slices them to ribbons. Kyle catches the discs their blades dripping with blood, one guard aims his rifle at the back of Kyle's head but the Aurelian unsheathes his katana so fast it appeared as if it wasn't drawn at all. The victim's dissected body falls to the ground blood pours out.

Flicking the red liquid off his weapons, Kyle puts the discs in the holsters on his hips. He ventures further down into the base killing anyone dumb enough to get in his way. Reaching the generator room, he plants the C4 explosives he found in a weapons cache the base had. Why it had one in the first place, he had no idea. He plants the remaining explosives on key structural points.

After setting the timer, Kyle runs out of there reaching the elevator and presses the button for the main floor. Once there he passes through the entry door just in time as the bombs detonate inside the underground lab. With his bloodlust sated for now, Kyle leaves knowing it's only a matter of time before emergency services arrive. Hitching a ride back to the city, Kyle meets up with Meia but makes the mistake of not removing the blood on his g-suit.

She asked in concern, "What happened to you?"

Kyle said honestly knowing lying would be pointless, "My bloodlust acted up."

Meia frowned, "I though that serum Ken had would treat it."

Kyle shook his head, "No, it took care most of the red Paksis fragment inside my head but it's still there. My bloodlust was born out of my desire for revenge, I fear it's growing stronger."

The Dread leader asked him, "Where did you go?"

Her lover answered, "I followed a scientist back to the lab he and the others were working at. They were descendants of the Gray Men and were continuing their super soldiers program by turning innocent civilians into killing machines. I killed them with no remorse."

Meia closed her eyes sighing, "Will your bloodlust ever be sated?"

Kyle looked at the sky, "I have no idea." That evening they decide to call it a day and thank Ashley for giving them a tour of Aured. The Razgriz Squadron leader insists that they at least allow her to treat them to dinner which they had no problems with.

Ashley leads them to a five-star restaurant with some of the best grub the place could offer. After eating their scrumptious meals and dessert, Ashley pays the bill and wishes the pair good-night.

That night finds Kyle and Meia are on their bed staring into each other's eyes with love. Meia was currently wearing only her blue panties, nothing else. Under normal circumstances she would be embarrassed but given that she trusts Kyle enough for her to do this, it was strangely nice. Kyle wore sweatpants and underwear leaving his torso bare.

Kyle admitted, "Ashley acted rather civil today. I was expecting her to be hostile toward us."

Meia giggled, "Would you rather have her be?"

Kyle shook his head, "Heavens no. Wouldn't want to see the cat fight you two would enter."

Meia giggled again, "If we did, I'd kick her ass."

Kyle smiled evilly while he wiggled his fingers, "Oh really?" She laughs uncontrollably as Kyle tickles her everywhere including her feet.

Meia demanded through the laughter, "Kyle, stop it! That tickles! I said stop it!" Mercifully he relents allowing Meia to catch her breath.

The young man said, "I love you very much, Meia nothing will change that."

Meia cried, "Kyle." The Dread leader closes her eyes in content when Kyle gently caresses her cheek, the Aurelian leans closer then kisses Meia.

Meia's arms close around Kyle's neck as they fall onto the bed pulling him closer so that her breasts are pressed against his chest. As much as they wanted to make love again, the two decided to save it for some other time.

Inside their own shared room, Alex watches Mia sort through her through closet for nightwear. She still had on the blue blouse and black shorts Mia bought earlier, much to Alex's secret relief. He was getting tired of seeing her in that flight suit.

Alex asked, "Do you need any help?"

Mia looked over her shoulder, "I'm good. Thanks for asking, though." Alex was finding it hard to ignore Mia lightly shaking her ass while humming a happy tone.

'What have I done to make my life so good?' Alex thought.

His self-control on the brink of oblivion, Alex walks up behind her and pulls Mia toward him making her stand stiff then moans as Alex kisses her neck.

Mia asked, "Alex, what are you doing? You're so bold suddenly, I love it."

Alex said, "Mia, I want you."

(Lemon time. You know the drill, right? Those under 18 or don't like this kind of stuff, turn back now. If you're 18 or don't care, read on.)

Alex snakes his hands underneath Mia's blouse to grope her breasts causing the young woman to moan in desire. Mia rubs herself against him fueling the fire that was rapidly growing within them.

Mia moaned, "I want you, too Alex." She lifts her arms for her lover to remove her shirt, turning around Mia hooks them around Alex's neck to deepen their kiss. Their tongues wrestle each other for dominance, breaking the torrid lip lock to shed Alex of his shirt exposing his lean, ripped figure to Mia's eyes. Placing his hands on the Dread pilot's curvy hips Alex pulls her close squashing her bra clad breasts against his chest, Mia moans when she felt Alex's hands rub her butt the younger Gisborn grins in her mind knowing he wasn't joking about wanting her. Reaching for the clasp to her red bra, Mia undoes it and tosses the undergarment aside.

Mia's breasts were slightly larger than Meia's and perkier, the nipples already hard and erect.

Then Alex spots a nasty scar running from her sternum down to her ribcage, Alex runs his finger down the scar.

Separating from the kiss, Alex asked her, "Where did you get this, Mia?"

The light blue-haired woman replied, "I got this prior to joining Magno's crew. Got involved in a violent altercation with some thugs while resupplying on a space colony. They wanted my Dread but I had no interest of handing it over. Shit went downhill and we got physical, the fuckers tried using the numbers game but that proved useless because I beat his cronies within an inch of their lives then it came down to me and their leader. He pulled out a large knife and was able to cut me deep. Despite the bleeding I stayed conscious long enough to wrestle the knife out of his hand and stab him in the heart. I blacked out after that. The next thing I remembered was waking up in the colony's hospital. The doctor said my cut was pretty bad and required immediate surgery to fix the damage. This scar was the end result of it."

Alex asked in concern, "Does it still hurt?"

Mia replied, "It's no big deal, I'm just that badass. Bet you want a scar too now because you wanna look just like me." Alex laughs at her joke and Mia joins in.

Alex said, "It looks good on you. Most people are self-conscious about their scars." Mia moans when Alex takes one nipple into his mouth, licking and gently biting it while his other hand roams over her toned, firm stomach feeling the ridges of a defined six-pack, Mia suddenly grabs his hand and brings it to her shorts. Understanding what she meant, Alex undoes the button and lowers the zipper and rubs her pussy.

Mia groaned, "Oh, yes Alex! That's it! More! I need more!" The shorts fall as Alex rubs her smoldering hot core faster, driving a finger inside it. Her red panties are soon drenched with her juices and Mia bucks her hips to drive Alex's finger deeper into her.

Alex asked, "Does that feel good, Mia?"

The Dread pilot moaned, "Fuck yes. It feels unbelievable! I'm gonna cum any second!" Her legs become weak and she holds onto his shoulders for support as she feels the coil within her tighten every second until it suddenly snaps, sending Mia's head thrown back in blissful release. Her juices coat Alex's hand and Mia legs give out but she somehow had the strength to maintain her grip on his shoulders. She pants heavily.

Regaining her energy, Mia slips her panties down her long, shapely legs then looks up at Alex with intense desire in her eyes. Before Alex can react she swaps positions and places him on the edge of the bed.

She said, "That was incredible. Allow me to return the favor." Unzipping and removing both his jeans and underwear, Alex takes in his eight-inch member with awe.

Mia strokes it with agonizing slowness feeling it grow hard in her hand, she next bobs up and down Alex places one hand on the young woman's head to encourage her. The Dread pilot increases the pace adding her breasts to the mix. She feels Alex's cock tense up then fire in her mouth, Mia greedily swallows his seed. Releasing his member she continues stroking it. Alex backs Mia to the wall and places one leg on his shoulder.

She lightly ordered, "I've waited long enough, dear. Put your cock inside me." Alex grabs her hips and slowly pushes in, he comes to a stop when he feels her hymen.

Alex looked at her in surprise, "Are you..."

Mia cut him off, "What kind of woman do you take me for? I've fooled around but saved my virginity for that special someone. That someone is you. Go ahead, take it." Her eyes shut as Alex pushes in and screams in pain when the she feels her barrier give way.

Alex said, "Mia, you're so hot and tight."

The younger Gisborn eventually told him, "Okay, you can start now." Alex moves his hips causing Mia to moan in pleasure as his cock moves in and out of her, the angle of their position allows Alex to thrust deeply into her. The sight of Mia's breasts bouncing tempts him to reach out and touch them which he does, taking one nipple into his mouth licking and gently biting it while holding the young woman's leg.

'It feels so good. Who knew having a man's cock in you would be so amazing.' Mia thought, thrusting her hips forward to make Alex go deeper until his cock touched the tip of her womb.

Alex speeds up and Mia moans in pleasure at the power of his thrusts a hot blush dons her face.

Mia said, "Yes! Oh yes, Alex! More! Thrust into me more!" Her lover grins at the plea and complies going as fast as he can, Mia's breasts move about wildly and their sweaty skin make contact with loud smacks. They engage in a heated kiss and feel the end approaching.

Mia demanded, "Cum inside me, Alex! It's alright!" She throws her head back in euphoria as Alex fires his seed into her, filling her to the brim as her walls grip his member tightly milking it.

He lowers Mia's leg before pulling out.

Mia commented, "That was amazing!"

Alex smirked, "Glad you liked it. Care for some more?"

Mia smiled, "Thought you'd never ask." She turns around and places her hands on the wall shaking her butt to entice her lover, it works as Alex inserts his still erect member into her tight, hot cavern. Holding her by the hips, Alex starts moving at piston-like speed. He pulls out until only the tip of his member is left then thrusts back in Mia screams in desire pushing back to bring him in deeper, striking her G-spot sending their pleasure through the roof. Alex leans over her and rubs her breasts then kisses Mia with intense passion.

Breaking their torrid lip lock the Dread pilot stares at her lover with lust and love burning in her aqua blue eyes and sees the same lust and love in Alex's hazel orbs. He gently bites the flesh of her shoulder blade and Mia hisses in pleasure, one minute later finds them on the bed with Mia riding her lover. She leans down moaning near his ear. The feeling of her breasts brushing against his chest was heavenly to the Aurelian.

Alex grabs hold of Mia's butt and helps in thrusting her up and down his lubricated shaft, Mia suddenly envelops him in a searing kiss holding his cheek while doing so. Sitting up Mia places her hands on his chest as she continues thrusting. The Mejalian starts bouncing wildly causing her breasts to bounce around in circles and the sound of flesh smacking against each other becomes the dominant noise in the room. The bed creaks slightly. Mia feels her end coming and judging by the way Alex's cock was tensing up, she knew his end wasn't that far off either.

She thrusts as fast as she humanly could trying to push them over that edge. It soon works. One final thrust sets them off, Mia stays still and Alex fires off another round of his essence into her and Mia moans in an intense orgasm, her vaginal walls gripping Alex's cock in a vice-like grip as they milk his cock. After the orgasm dies down, Mia collapses onto her love her breasts squashed against Alex's chest. They both breath in much needed oxygen.

Mia looked at him, "You're an animal."

Alex felt insulted, "Hey, I resent that! You were every bit of an animal as me."

Mia chucked, "I'm kidding. You were incredible, how did you know where my pleasure points were?"

Alex shrugged, "Instinct, I guess. Come here." He pulls Mia in to gently kiss her.

She rested her head on his chest, "I love you so much."

Alex rubbed her back, "As do I." He pulled the covers over them, "Sleep tight, love. We'll need it." Not long after that sleep takes hold of them.

A/N: Chapter 8 done. I've been wanting to do this scenario for some time but didn't know where until now. It'll be a four part event with this part being the calm before the storm, so to speak.

It seems Kyle's desire for revenge is causing trouble not only with Chang for his lack of progress in his relationship with Mori and Catherine but with his own squadron. I realized he was deviating from the anti-hero traits so I felt the confrontation with both Chang and Eugene would bring him back to that position.

Eugene developed some guts standing up to Kyle and later revealed that he at one point wanted to be an artist and he knew about Razgriz Squadron.

The Nirvana crew meet a planet fighting the Harvesters and are introduced to the descendants of the original members of Razgriz Squadron and decided to name their unit after them as a way of honoring them.

Kyle's bloodlust acted up, he slaughtered an entire base full of personnel including scientists that were continuing the Gray Men's super soldier program.

Lastly, Mia teased Alex with different kinds of intimate apparel then later shared a night of passion with him.

Fair warning, parts 2 and 3 will be violent and graphic at times.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 9.

Vader 23A


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Liberating a Planet Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

_Kyle runs through a grassy field tracing laughter that belonged to his family, he calls out their names and the only answer he gets is more laughter. Suddenly the ground beneath him cracks then gives way Kyle falls through the rapidly growing hole. Restoring his vertical base the Aurelian finds himself surrounded by darkness with only a pillar of light shining down on him from above._

_His heart races while sweat pours down his face, the feeling of someone following you envelops his being._

_A hand comes out of the darkness and grabs hold of Kyle's arm causing him to gasp, his eyes widen in horror as a bloody Sara emerges._

_Sara said, "Help me, big brother! It hurts! Make it stop!" Kyle shakes his head in an attempt to convince himself this wasn't real._

_He stated, "This is not real! This is not real!"_

_Sara felt something beginning to pull her away, "Save me, Kyle! I don't wanna die!" Kyle tries running toward his sister but the harder he ran, the further Sara is pulled backwards until she was gone from sight and the sickening crunch of bone echoes through the area._

_A scream of pain causes Kyle to whip around and spots hooks embedded in Jessica's body, sobs of agony escape her._

_Kyle shook his head, "No more. Please stop." The hooks started pulling and Jessica's cries of pain escalate until her body was pulled apart, "Jessica!" Yet more crying catches Kyle's attention._

_Directing his eyes to his left, he sees Francesca pouring gasoline onto Meia, his mother and adopted sister Bianca. Dropping the jerrycan, the psychotic woman lights a match and looks at Kyle's direction smiling sadistically._

_Kyle seethed, "Don't you dare do it, you fucking bitch!"_

_Francesca laughed, "Try stopping me!" With that she throws the match and cackles when her victims' bodies ignite Michelle, Meia and Bianca scream in excruciating pain as their flesh burned._

_A dark aura emerges from Kyle and takes the shape of a Japanese demon and he lifts his face revealing glowing red eyes and sharp teeth, releasing a demonic roar he charges at Francesca who hadn't stopped laughing._

_He said, "I'LL KILL YOU!" Suddenly his own body erupts into flames but despite this he keeps running. Just when he's within arms-reach of his prey, he turns into ash that's carried away by the wind._

Kyle shoots up gasping for breath, his heart beating rapidly and cold sweat dripped down his face. A hand touches his arm making Kyle gasp in fear and turns around to see Meia looking at him with horrified and concerned eyes.

She asked, "What's wrong, Kyle? You were screaming in your sleep."

Kyle said with a horrified expression, "You, my family...you...you were killed in horrifying ways. I could do nothing but watch! Make it stop. Please, for the love of God make it stop." Meia pulls Kyle to her, laying his head on her chest and caresses his short black hair while saying soothing words.

She kissed him, "I'm not going anywhere, love. There's nothing or anyone can do to change that."

Kyle fought back the tears that were threatening to escape, "She has killed too many people, Meia. Her along with Diego Navarro have ruined my life, they took everything from me and I swear I in return will take everything away from them. I will enjoy every minute of it as they beg for mercy."

Meia asked, "Out of rage? That's reckless."

Kyle stared into her eyes, "No, revenge. I must exact it or my soul will snap." He gave her a passionate kiss that had fear mixed in.

On board the OSN Avenger, the crew were preparing for the battle.

Her pilots are in the mission briefing room, Tianlong, Gryphus Squadron, Ken and the Nirvana's Dread pilots attend the briefing via monitor.

Ashley activated the holographic projector, "Let's begin the mission briefing. As you know, the Harvesters have targeted us for our eyes and will do everything to obtain them. They have taken a military base that contains a production facility down on Gaia's surface and are using it to produce cyborgs designed for combat." She pressed a button that displayed the said machine, "I call them Death Harbingers. From what data we have on them, they're about the same height of the average human at six feet tall covered in armor resembling human skin except more metallic in appearance that can withstand tank shells. They have a metal exoskeleton forged out of iridium and titanium, producing a metal several times stronger than any metal created by man. They're powered by hydrogen fusion reactors that can last for 200 years or more and equipped with dual TX-1230M laser rifles of immense power, T-290X pistols for sidearms and blades housed in the forearms for melee combat. However, they do have a weak point. Their armor is vulnerable to high temperatures so we outfitted the M-60E3 machine guns with bullets that generate temperatures up to 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt through the armor. Once the armor plating's been breached you have a limited period of time to attack its fusion reactors because the machines regenerate any damage inflicted upon it."

'Why the hell would the Harvesters produce rip-offs of the Terminator?' Eugene thought with a sweat drop.

Ashley switched the projector's image to a layout of the production facility, "The facility has five floors. The command center is located at the very top floor like in any base, you need to take out the guards there first so they won't put the base on alert. The second floor is the main level of the base for personnel to eat lunch and train. The third floor is the resting quarters. The fourth has a weapon storage room. The final floor is actually at basement level, the production facility will be there. Our main force will do battle with the Harvest fleet in the planet's orbit to safeguard the landing shuttles' descent through the atmosphere and our ground forces will infiltrate the base and stop any more Death Harbingers from being made. Two squads will remain outside the base to keep any hostiles from getting in while the others move into the base. A storm is expected to move in shortly, the ground forces will use it to cover their infiltration. And most important of all, we've learned that Francesca is on the base personally overseeing this battle. Many intelligence officers died to bring us this information." Kyle's eyes gain a glint of surprise that turns into excited glee.

'So that demon is on Gaia? This is my lucky day!' He thought in his mind.

The leader of Razgriz Squadron said, "It will be a tough fight with casualties on both sides but I am confident we will win. Let's show Earth what happens when you fuck with Gaia. Dismissed." The pilots get up and head for the locker room to change into their g-suits.

On board the Nirvana, the Dread pilots request last-minute weapon replenishment orders. Like the crew on the Avenger, they knew this battle will be their toughest yet.

Gryphus Squadron spots Chang going over the mission with his squad mates and walks over.

Chang said, "Hey, Kyle."

Kyle replied, "Hello, Chang. Listen I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I let my anger get the best of me."

Chang smiled slightly, "It's okay, kid. I overreacted myself." Ken smiles at his two students' willingness to rectify their mishaps

Eugene laid his eyes on the J-20s, "So this is the new stealth fighter China's developed?"

Chang nodded, "Yes. China wanted to developed a fighter that could give an F-22 a run for its money. They were still working out design problems the last time I saw them. The J-20 entered development in 2011 but the first actual fighter didn't emerge last time I received word about its progress. I was among the last pilots to receive the final bunch of prototypes. It's equipped with long and short-range air to air missiles and the same autocannon the J-10 has. It originally didn't have one but it appears the Paksis gave it one. There hasn't been an actual engagement between the J-20 and F-22 though some believe it'd be epic to see." He directs his gaze toward Ken to emphasize what he means.

Ken smiled, "Hm? Did you say something?" Chang face faults and his friends laugh at the two's usual antics.

Chang regained his composure, "Anyway, whose going down to the planet's surface to join the infiltration force?"

Kyle said, "I am. Francesca's overseeing this invasion which in turn must be inside that base. I won't get another opportunity like this again so I must seize it."

Chang asked, "Anyone else?"

A female voice said, "Wait, you can't go in there alone." Whipping around, Ken sees the Gisborn sisters walking up to them.

Kyle asked, "Meia, Mia, what are you doing here?"

Mia explained, "We had some form of premonition moments ago. There is great danger inside that base, we can't let you face it alone."

Meia nodded, "She's right. You might be walking into a trap, maybe Francesca foresaw this and is waiting for you there. Even if she isn't, that base will be crawling with infantry."

Ken asked, "What about commanding the Dreads? Normally you would be doing that, Meia."

Meia said, "Jura's taking my place for this mission. She's been training non-stop for it." She leaned in to whisper into Kyle's ear sultrily, "After this mission, I want a reward from you, Kyle."

Kyle whispered back, "I'll think of something." Pulling back, Meia wraps her arms around his neck to bring him in for a quick kiss.

Chang nodded, "That settles it, then. Arm yourselves with any weapon you desire, something tells me we're in for a tough fight." Hibiki was currently doing a systems check on his Vanguard when Dita shows up.

He asked, "What do you want?"

Dita said, "I want to wish you good-luck, Mr. Alien. I'd never forgive myself if you died in battle you are very important to me." The Vanguard pilot felt heat rushing to his cheeks turning them bright red.

Hibiki replied, "I won't die because I have you guys with me." Kyle comes over to their location.

Kyle said, "How you doing, kid?"

Hibiki smiled, "Good."

Kyle nodded, "Glad to hear it because for this upcoming battle I'm placing you in charge of Gryphus Squadron." He keeps the underlying reason from Hibiki.

Hibiki blinked in surprise, "Me? In charge of your squadron? What about my training?"

Kyle said firmly, "There's nothing left Meia or I can teach you, Hibiki. Leading Gryphus Squadron will be your final test."

Recovering from his state of surprise, Hibiki nodded, "Thank you, sir. I promise I won't let you down!"

Kyle said, "I know you won't. Alex and Eugene will watch your back." Barnette watches the two interact with jealousy something that made no sense.

'Why am I so jealous of Dita talking to Hibiki? I shouldn't be jealous.' She thought.

Jura shook her out of it, "What's wrong, Barnette?"

The dark green-haired woman answered, "It's nothing."

Jura said, "We've known each other for a long time, you're lying. Tell me what's bugging you."

Barnette gritted her teeth, "What does Dita see in that man to the point she wants to spend time with him?"

Her close friend said, "You know how Dita is with aliens. Hibiki, being unknown to her, strikes her as being an alien. I see something else behind that UFO obsession, Barnette. It's as if she likes Hibiki."

Eugene said, "They love each other even though they don't know it. I see that spark in their eyes, they do worry for each other's safety during battle. I wonder how deep that love is. That's something they need to figure out themselves. Have faith in your ability to lead the Dreads in the fight, Jura. Remember everything you learned during training, okay?" Jura nods.

Alex came over to Hibiki's position, "Hey, Hibiki. Feeling nervous?"

Hibiki nodded, "Yeah. Never led a fighter squadron before."

Meia's words echoed through his mind, _"Remain calm under pressure. If you snap under it, the formation will fall apart."_ Thinking back to the Santa figure they found, Hibiki decided it'd serve as a symbol of their friendship.

Alex smiled casually, "I wouldn't say that. During Meia's battle for life you took charge of the Dreads and through your thinking outside the box, we won. That alone serves as proof that you have the qualities of being a squadron leader. Time to see if you can pass this final test. Eugene and I are counting on you out there."

Hibiki nodded, "Right." On the Avenger, Razgriz Squadron modify their units' weaponry.

Ashley sets a minigun onto Dead Eye's left shoulder, small missile launcher on the right and swaps her high-caliber sniper rifle's regular bullets with armor-piercing ones.

Katherine equips her unit's shotgun with explosive shells that detonate on impact causing damage to the target.

Leo keeps Devastator's weapon layout mostly the same except modifying the right so that had a drill can emerge. The arm had boosters attached to it thus allowing the drill to act as some form of projectile, cutting through even the thickest armor before reattaching itself to the unit's limb. The drill can also be used as a backup melee weapon.

Brent had missile launchers placed inside Bulls Eye's shoulders and a chainsaw inside the right forearm.

The Nirvana's radar detects a massive Harvest fleet approaching. Archangel readies her weapons. The alarm goes off.

Belvedere informed, "The enemy's here, 20,000Gr and closing fast."

Magno and Kasumi said at the same time, "All units, launch immediately!"

The pilots on both ships enter their fighters and move out.

Jura ordered, "Attention all Dreads, we need to make sure those landing shuttles make it through the planet's atmosphere safely."

The pilots said, _"Roger!"_ The Dreads and Razgriz Squadron engage the Harvest fleet.

Barnette barrel rolls through enemy gunfire and retaliates with her Dread's missiles, downing four MiG-29s then executes a hard left turn to shake off missiles. After shaking them off her tail, the young woman fires her Dread's guns turning the additional Fulcrums into scrap metal. Catching a flash of light from her 3 o'clock high Barnette breaks left to avoid enemy gunfire then hears the missile warning.

'Oh no, you don't!' Barnette thought in defiance.

F-15 Eagles come out of nowhere and ready another ARAAM and fires, Barnette allows the missile to follow her toward the fighter jet then pulls up sharply and the ARAAM shoots down its owner.

Blaze aims Dead Eye's sniper rifle at a pair of Seed Ships, the scope lowers in front of her and she waits for it to turn red. When it does, she pulls the trigger. Bullet after bullet flies out of the chamber and penetrates the Seed Ships. They lie motionless for a few seconds before they explode. Sensing danger behind her, Blaze spins Dead Eye around and fires the minigun at some cube-types that had the nerve to sneak up on her. Directing her gaze forward Blaze's purple eyes spot MiG-31s coming toward her. She fires the missile launcher at them and the cube-types blow up. With that threat neutralized, Blaze returns her attention to main objective.

Chopper and Archer co-operate with Gryphus Squadron in protecting the Archangel.

Chopper detects cube-types approaching their position and fires the shoulder missiles in conjunction with the minigun. He waits for the missile launcher to reload before firing again on a large missile that was getting too close for comfort. The missiles launched by Bulls Eye and its minigun deal no damage on the missile so Devastator aims its right arm forward, the hand slides back into the arm and the drill takes its place. He allows the drill to rev up and the boosters ignite.

Archer said, "Target acquired. Firing!" Pulling the trigger, the drill's boosters sent it on its way.

The propelled weapon cuts its way through the entire missile destroying the internal components then exits through the other end. The drill swings around before connecting to the arm again and switches to the normal hand. He next spots another Harvest flagship taking aim at them and notices Seed Ships on both sides of the hull.

'They brought a modified one? That's new.' He thought.

Archangel fires her four 16" guns at the flagship taking out its main cannon but then it releases its entire payload of Seed Ships, Archangel readies her SAMs and once the Seed Ships entered its lock range the Gleipnir class airborne fortress unleashes hell on them. The next thing the Seed Ships feel are missiles striking their bodies then explode.

A third flagship comes into view making Archangel's defenders conclude the Harvesters are determined to take out Archangel.

However, Gryphus Squadron's making sure that doesn't happen.

Appearing in front of the Gleipnir class airborne fortress the F-22 and E-3 Sentry II are engulfed in an aqua green aura similar to Vandread Meia before it did its charge attack. Lighting up the afterburners, the fighter jets accelerate toward the flagship smashing through the interior and emerging from the other end, the aqua green auras die down. The Harvest flagship turns into a massive fireball.

Gryphus 2 said, "Damn, I love this new upgrade the Paksis gave to our planes. Don't you agree, Crux?"

Crux nodded, _"Absolutely!"_

Archer told them, _"Don't get cocky, you two there's still plenty of enemies to deal with."_ The F-22's HUD detects Su-27s approaching from 2 o'clock high.

They move out to intercept them switching to the XLAAM and AMRAAM respectively, in addition with the ability of reentering a planetary atmosphere the final gift the Paksis placed upon the military planes it modified the payload of their missiles. In exchange for increasing ammo capacity, the missiles' size were reduced by half. That didn't mean their destructive power was diminished. In fact it was the opposite, they were amplified.

Gryphus 2 chases after some MiG-29 Fulcrums waiting for the missile lock to turn red.

Once it did, he called out, "Fox Three! Fox Three!" The special weapons connect with the targets and explode.

He suddenly hears the missile warning go off and pops flares to direct heat-seeking missiles away from his stealth fighter. Executing a left turn, Gryphus 2 fires the F-22's M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon at the other Fulcrums, lethal 20mm bullets rip them to shreds.

Crux pulls evasive maneuvers on some cube-types that were on his tail. They open fire on him and Crux barrel rolls through the lasers before unleashing an EM pulse that disables the cube-types. Next he switches to a secondary special weapon called Implode Missile.

The missile operated by traveling toward its target and upon impact triggers an implosion with a force equivalent to a black hole then the weapon explodes outward, taking everything in the immediate area with it. Simple but very effective.

Crux approaches the cube-types head-on, fires the missile and breaks right. The missile heads for the cube-types and just like its name implied, it hits the targets, implodes then explodes outward turning the cube-types into scrap metal.

Gryphus 2 whistled, _"That's some destructive power. Makes me wonder what kind of damage it would do to a Harvest flagship or some other big unit they have."_

Crux flashed an amused smile, "We'll just have to wait and find out, won't we?" Vandread Dita mounts the laser cannons onto its arms and fires at both sides to bag cube-types that were attempting to box it in.

Hibiki informed, "MiG-29s are coming in from 12 o'clock high. Engage!" Fakedread Dita accompanies the Fulcrums. Staying calm, Hibiki leads Gryphus Squadron into battle with the enemy.

Tianlong Squadron escorts the shuttles as they begin their descent through Gaia's atmosphere.

Catherine alerted, "Chang, we got unknown bogeys closing in from 9 o'clock. The signature's unknown, though." Three specks of light flash against the dark background of space and the specks of light turn into red PAK-FA stealth multi-role/air superiority fighters.

Mori asked, _"What are those?"_

Chang told them, _"It's the PAK-FA, the intended successor to the MiG-29 and Su-27 of the Russian Air Force. There's a prototype labeled T-50 though it didn't enter actual production when I read about it on the Internet. It's planned to have supercruise, stealth technology, supermaneuverability and advanced avionics to overcome the prior generation of fighter aircraft defenses. These must be the first three actual PAK-FA which means the program must have entered the production phase since then. We're about to do battle with these fighter jets. We don't know how far they have come since the production phase began so watch your back."_ Not far away from them, Blaze watches Edge tear her enemy to pieces with Phantom's shotgun without mercy.

She remembers the first time seeing this aggression from Edge.

Flashback 6 years ago

_Ashley was walking down the sidewalk of Aured looking for one last member for Razgriz Squadron when she heard a small yelp. Running at that direction the pilot soon discovers the source of the yelp. It belonged to a girl only a year younger than her covering her breasts with one arm as the man ripped shirt her off in his attempt of satisfying his needs. A look of embarrassment and disgust formed on the auburn-haired girl's face before she head butts the man groping her with the back of her skull stunning him. Whipping around the girl delivered a brutal roundhouse kick that broke his nose._

_She said, "You dare use me as your personal sex relief toy, you punk ass?" A look of comical shock formed on Ashley's face as she watched the girl beat the guy until there was nothing but blood and bones, the girl's knuckles swollen from punching so hard._

_The girl looked at Ashley, "Who the fuck are you?"_

_Getting out of her shock, the slightly older pilot said, "I'm Ashley, leader of Razgriz Squadron. I offer you the invitation of becoming part of my fighter squadron."_

_The girl said harshly, "Name's Katherine Nagese and what's in it for me if I join you?"_

_Ashley sweat dropped, "Right to the point, I see. You get to fly airplanes and find your purpose in life. In addition, you'll have wingmen to watch your back."_

_Katherine said, "Fine, I accept. But I am laying down the warning, if you're doing this for your own benefit I'll tear you apart. Got it?"_

_Ashley nodded in a calm manner, "Yes, Katherine." She took off her jacket and threw it to Katherine, "You can wear that until we find a clothing store. Having you wandering through the streets topless would give men funny ideas." Her new wingman zips up the jacket and they move out._

_A week later and Nagese met the other members of Razgriz Squadron. It was tense at first but Katherine eventually warmed up to the squad. She revealed that she had a strenuous relationship with her parents due to her behavior at school including the bullies there. Whenever one forced themselves on her, they were sent to the infirmary with bruises and sometimes black eyes with missing teeth._

End of flashback

The 10 landing shuttles complete reentry and make their way through storm clouds, lightning occasionally flashed.

Gryphus 1 ordered, "Stay focused, guys." Half an hour later, the shuttles emerge from the clouds the sky as black as night due to the cloud blocking out the red dwarf's light.

Suddenly pink laser beams erupt from the top of buildings and down 2 shuttles.

'It wasn't mentioned there would be Mason Cannons in the briefing.' Gryphus 1 thought.

The captain of the lead shuttle told him,_ "It appears the enemy was expecting us, Gryphus 1. What do you wanna do?"_ The Aurelian looks around for a possible landing sight for the shuttles when the radar warns of an unidentified object approaching fast.

Gryphus 1 ordered, "Surviving shuttles, land behind the huge skyscrapers to your 3 o'clock. Their height will prevent the Mason Cannons from tracking you." As one, the shuttles break right. Unfortunately 3 more get taken out by the Mason Cannons.

Kasumi said over the radio,_ "Don't worry about people getting caught in the crossfire. We built underground bomb shelters in the event something like this happened."_

Gryphus 1 stated, "You weren't joking when you said the Harvesters' attacks left you paranoid."

Kasumi cried, _"Buildings can be replaced, human lives can't."_ A cyan blue laser beam comes out of nowhere and a humanoid robot appears.

It was colored light gray, humanoid in form, armed with a laser rifle and missile launchers on its back, a beam saber, blue eyes and thrusters mounted in the mid-back and legs. It was manned by a crew of 3 with the first being the commander, the second controlling the robot and the third being the weapons operator.

Rain starts to fall on the city.

The captain of the robot named Salvation asked, "Where did he go? Francesca promised us a huge reward if we defeated Nemesis!"

His crew mate said, "I don't know..." The machine's radar picks up a signature, "Something has appeared. It's close by as well." Directing its gaze to a skyscraper, it makes out the silhouette of Anubis standing on the roof, its sword Reaper in hand. Anubis' chilling red eyes flash in sync with a lightning bolt. A black aura surrounded the mechanical lord of the dead which meant Gryphus 1 let his bloodlust loose.

Gryphus 1 said, "So Francesca is too much of a chicken to face me directly. Instead she hires you fuckers to do her dirty work. Salvation is your machine's name? How pathetic."

Salvation's captain retorted, _"You are putting the future of Earth into jeopardy with this genocide of yours."_

Gryphus 1 snorted, "Future of Earth? Me committing genocide? You're blind to the truth. This isn't genocide, it's justice. If Earth died, thousands of other planets won't have to live in fear. Matter of fact, the humans on that hunk of rock can die for all I care."

His opponent said, _"Listen to yourself, you are insulting the home you were born on!"_

Gryphus 1 stated, "Ha! Earth isn't my home anymore. This harvest operation is enough to prove it's gone off the deep end. Harvesting the organs for your own selfish reason is genocide. It's only fitting for the descendants to fight back." He smiled in a dangerous way, "All I want is to kill the people who ruined my life. And I will start with you, fool. Your death will let Francesca know I'm coming for her next." Anubis jumps down and Salvation pulls out its beam saber to block the downward strike. Another flash of lightning shows that Anubis underwent a little metamorphosis.

It grew a metallic bony tail, a single row of spines run down its back and stopped at the end of its tail and its face became even more demonic.

Anubis pushes Salvation back using the momentum of the jump before swinging Reaper in wide arcs prompting to the light gray robot to evade. However, it leaves itself vulnerable as its attacker kicks out with the heel of its foot sending Salvation flying though it lands on its feet. Looking ahead it spots Anubis running towards it sword held in both hands. Salvation stays on the defense though the strength behind the attacks leaves it unable to counter. It ducks to avoid the tail swing but then Anubis blasts Salvation with its gun arm inflicting damage on it.

The machine's captain ordered, "Rook, get us in the air now!"

Rook nodded, "Roger that, captain." The boosters light up and Salvation's takes to the air.

Gryphus 1 said, _"You won't get away from me!"_ Opening its bat-like wings, Anubis chases its prey.

Rook alerted, "Captain, the enemy's catching up to us fast." Salvation applies the brakes halting in flight so that Anubis shoots past it. Gryphus 1 realizes this and stops his machine before turning around to see Salvation arming its missile launchers. Multiple missile locks appear on the monitor.

All locks turned red and Rook said, "Target acquired, ready to fire at your command, Jay."

Jay ordered, "Blast that monster out of the sky! Fire!" Rook pulls the trigger and hundreds of missiles are launched they head for Anubis.

Anubis stands its ground as the missiles hit its body generating a cloud of smoke. For a moment there was silence before a cross wind blows the smoke away revealing an undamaged Anubis scratching its cheek like it was bitten by a mosquito before unleashing a taunting roar.

Ren said, "No damage?"

Gryphus 1 mocked, _"That the best you can do? If so, it's my turn."_ Anubis blasts toward Salvation, tackling it and driving them buildings leaving huge gaping holes, some even collapsed due to their structural integrity being compromised.

Anubis releases Salvation from its grip as the light gray machine crashes through the last building. The distinct sound of glass and debris hitting the ground echoes throughout the stormy sky. Ren tries restoring the video quality of the monitor which was static.

When he does restore it, he screams at the sight of Anubis towering over them, its red eyes boring into his amber ones. Anubis grabs Salvation by the leg and pulls it behind the attacker then the dark gray machine of death swings it over the head and onto the pavement intending on smashing Salvation's face in before throwing it through more buildings. Suddenly Anubis gets hit by laser rounds though they didn't inflict damage. Looking up it spots futuristic gunships making a strafing run.

On the lead gunship, the weapons operator said, "The lasers had no effect, sir."

The pilot ordered, "Try attacking from the side, it must a have weak point somewhere." Releasing a growl Anubis points its left arm at the gunships, the limb changes into the gun and energy starts collecting inside the barrel. Once it was full, Anubis fires at the gunships turning each one into pieces of flaming debris that land at random directions.

Gryphus 1 said, "Now, where was I? Oh yeah, sending those hired punks to obliteration." He turns the unit around and sees his prey crawling up a building to escape, its boosters and legs heavily damaged.

Anubis' wings fully extend then glow red, attracting lightning to them. However, the lightning bolts had no effect on Anubis. The wings then direct the lightning into Anubis' open mouth lighting the interior with an eerie blue color. Flashing a terrifying grin, Anubis fires the Ray of Damnation. The ray of death screams out of the mouth taking the shape of a red beam outlined with lightning, it impacts the building Salvation was on its destructive power overwhelms the structural integrity sending it and Salvation to the ground. The top of the building crashes onto the damaged robot. Salvation digs its way out of the rubble and flips onto its back.

Jay, Ren and Rook let out a collective gasp of horror when they see Anubis charging up its Ray of Damnation.

Gryphus 1 stated, "Your lives end here!" The Ray of Damnation trails its way toward Salvation and deals the killing blow, the crew manage to hit the ejection button before a colossal explosion rips the machine apart. The capsule lands some distance away and Jay turns the wheel to open the hatch and crawls out coughing.

Jay said, "That was the most embarrassing fight I've been in."

Rook grunted, "No shit, Sherlock."

Gryphus 1 said, "Sucks getting owned by someone better than you, huh?" Turning around they see him standing there with his glaive ready to dissect them.

Jay asked, "What are you?"

Gryphus 1 smirked, "I go by many names. Southern Cross, Gryphus 1, Ghost of Aurelia though my enemies refer to me as Nemesis because of my ferocity in dogfights." Seeing the look of terror in Jay's eyes, the Aurelian said, "You remind me of Diego Gaspar Navarro. He's a greedy, manipulative son of a bitch that used the Aurelian War to amass large amounts of money so that the Fenrir project could happen. I ensured Navarro's plan ended in such a way he fled from Leasath. The biggest mistake he made was having my hometown being virtually wiped off the map via massive bombing squadron. He will join you in death soon enough!" He raises the double-bladed weapon and drives it through Jay's skull, the sound of bone breaking fills his comrades' ears. Pulling the glaive free Gryphus 1 hears running feet and looks to his left to spot Ren running away though he doesn't get far because Gryphus 1 shoots him with the M9A1 Beretta killing him with one shot.

Rook charges at the 20-year old but Gryphus 1 catches the outstretched arm and lifts Rook off his feet, drawing his wrist blades he slices the lower half of Rook's body off as blood pours out of the severed area before Gryphus 1 releases him. The body lands on the ground with a wet splat.

The young man gets his bloodlust under control again. At least for now.

He held his head like he was having a headache, "Bloodlust is getting stronger. I feel as if it hungers for more blood to be spilled." Back above the planet, the Dreads, Razgriz, Tianlong, Gryphus Squadron and Vandread Dita were struggling against the seemingly endless wave of Harvest units.

Mori groaned in frustration, "Man, there's no end to these guys!"

Chang said,_ "What'd you expect, Mori? The inhabitants of Earth are on the brink of extinction and will do anything to stave off that inevitability. Even if it means harvesting the organs of their descendants."_

Catherine grinned, _"Yeah, Mori calm down otherwise you'll ruin that beautiful face of yours."_

Mori blushed then said, "We're in the toughest battle yet and you tease me about my looks?"

Catherine giggled, _"How can I not? It's the truth."_

Mori said, "We don't have time for this shit, Catherine." She barely avoided an enemy missile, "That's why now is not the time for your flirting!"

Chang ordered, _"That's enough, you two. You can mess with each other later, right now we have an enemy to deal with."_ The 3 PAK-FA stealth multi-role/air superiority fighter prove to be tough opponents for them.

The lead PAK-FA gets on Chang's tail and fires its cannon at the J-20 which barrel rolls through it. Swinging around Chang arms a heat-seeking missile and fires it though the PAK FA pops flares to direct the missile away. The PAK-FA fires its cannon on Chang's 4 o'clock and Chang dives to prevent getting hit by the 30mm bullets. Completing a hard left turn, he closes the distance to the enemy and shoots the autocannon. The bullets clip parts of FAK-PA though not the results he expected. His wingmen were experiencing the same thing as their respective opponents played hard to catch.

The Harvesters stopped targeting Archangel and instead focused on Razgriz Squadron, big mistake.

Phantom blows a hole in Fakedread Meia's chest, its chilling white eyes bore through the gaping hole before the Fakedread exploded. It lifts the shotgun over its shoulder and kills a cube-type sneaking up behind it.

Edge taunted, "Stupid Harvesters, attacking my blind spot will do you no good." Dead Eye snipes a formation of F-4 Phantoms and uses the minigun to shoot down any that get past her sniper rifle.

Chopper zigzags through a swarm of MiG-21s and F/A-18 Hornets firing Bulls Eye's M-134 minigun on them. Clenching its fist Bulls Eye's chainsaw emerges to slice a passing MiG-21 into two halves. Retracting the weapon into the right forearm the black machine grips the minigun in both hands again.

He spotted Fakedread Dita approaching him, "Oh, come at me. Come at me, you piece of trash!" Before the Fakedread can deploy its shoulder mounted laser cannons, Bulls Eye fills its body with lead.

Devastator uses broad swings on cube-types it was currently fighting with. Fakedread Jura tries bull rushing Devastator sidesteps it and points its beam saber downward so that the evil green copycat of Vandread Jura runs through it, dissecting in the process.

Vandread Dita's laser cannons vaporize several cube-types and Mobius 1's Falken soars past it firing its Tactical Laser at MiG-17s, slicing them in half.

The Harvesters direct some of its forces towards him but the Grim Reaper proves why he's the greatest fighter pilot ever. The Falken outmaneuvers them with ease then retaliates with the Tactical Laser destroying them like it was nothing.

Jura commanded, "B team, coordinate with Gryphus Squadron to repel the Harvesters attacking the Avenger!" A squadron of Dreads follow her order and cooperates with Gryphus Squadron in protecting the Avenger.

On board the Nirvana, Amarone said, "Captain, scans have picked up an unknown enemy signature. ETA: 30 seconds!"

Magno blinked in surprise, "What? A new enemy?"

Amarone counted down, "Unknown enemy will be arriving in 5,4,3,2,1!" The unidentified aircraft emerges onto the battlefield.

It was a Gleipnir class airborne fortress, gray in color, was armed with missile launchers nears its stern, saws lined its sides, two 18" guns sat on the bow and finally twin drills rested underneath the bow.

Archangel picks up the new enemy's radar signature and moves in to engage Calamity. It's been a while since the Nirvana crew saw a clash between Gleipnir class airborne fortresses and it was something to see.

Back with the ground forces, they find themselves pinned down by Death Harbingers and tanks straight out of a science fiction movie.

Meia and Mia ducks behind some piled up rubble, laser beams from the enemy's TX-1230M laser rifles move past them.

A soldier in the battalion hands them a pair of M-60E3 machine guns.

Mia asked, "Why are you giving us these?"

The soldier explained, "Because those laser rings you carry around wouldn't do much good against the Death Harbingers, the lasers would simply bounce off their metal bodies. Use the M-60E3, they will tear through it better." He next handed them some vials containing blue and red-orange liquids respectively and some grenades, "Take these."

Meia examined them, "What are they?"

The soldier said, "The red-orange liquid causes the victim's body to shrink in on itself, crushing bones and rupturing internal organs under the pressure within blasts open the sack of flesh spraying its contents for all to see, painful way of dying. We call it Implode. The blue liquid does the opposite of Implode. Upon entering the bloodstream, it triggers an immediate chain reaction that causes the victim's body to expand dramatically until they basically explode. Its name is Expand. Pretty gruesome. Those grenades I gave you may resemble fragment grenades but its destructive power rivals an atomic bomb. Really effective against large groups of enemies in confined spaces. It's essentially a miniature atomic bomb therefore we labeled them atomic grenades. We only made a limited amount of these weapons before Earth attacked us, girls so use them wisely." He stands up to exchange fire with a nearby Death Harbinger and ducks before a tank could target him.

Meia raised the wrist computer and contacted, "Nirvana, this is Meia of the ground forces. We are pinned down here requesting immediate assistance."

Gryphus 1 said, _"Sit tight, I'm almost there. You might want to keep your heads down as well."_ He ends the transmission before Meia could ask him why.

She cautiously stands up and notices the tanks aiming their cannons into the air and fire at Anubis. The machine named after the Egyptian lord of the dead roars as if mocking the pitiful attack launched at it. Coming to a halt Anubis changes its arm into the cannon, charging it. The barrel soon glows red and fires in a horizontal line annihilating everything in its path. The ground forces covered their ears to block out the loud explosions.

Meia gets down just in time before a piece of flaming shrapnel soars past her head.

Anubis lands in front of the ground forces, its glowing red hieroglyphics a stark contrast to the stormy sky. It fully extends its wings and draws lightning towards them and directs the collected energy to Anubis' mouth. It then fires the Ray of Damnation obliterating caught within it. The machine next uses its scanners to detect a shield generator protecting the military base even from a long distance. Anubis targets the generator and fires the Ray of Damnation a second time. The red beam moves to the destination vanishing from sight before a loud boom tells the ground forces that the shield generator was no more.

Gryphus 1 said, "The shield generator has been destroyed. You're clear to make the final push toward the military base."

Meia asked through the wrist computer, "How did you know there would be one?"

Gryphus 1 replied, _"I didn't. Anubis did, can't really explain it but this thing sort of has its own will. Enough chitchat, we got an underground production facility to put out of commission."_ Mia didn't feel that oppressive darkness she felt when Anubis first appeared. It was like the darkness was...sated. That or biding its time.

Despite the covering fire Anubis provided some members of the ground forces are killed. Only Gryphus 1 and the Gisborn sisters make it to the base. Anubis kneels down and Gryphus 1 jumps out landing on the ground with the grace of a cat.

The three look into the dark entryway of the base a sense of anxiety washes over them.

Gryphus 1 said, "Francesca's in there, no doubt about it. Are you girls ready?" They give each other 3 Implodes, Expands and atomic grenades before Gryphus 1 unsheathes the katana to stare at the kanji carved into the sword.

'He who lost everything dear to him must confront the demons tormenting him. Only through determination and courage can the darkness be purged and his mind at ease. When he achieves this, he will be reborn.' He thought, remembering Mori translating the kanji to him.

Sheathing the katana again he said, "Let's go, there's a personal demon in there that must die." His light blue-haired companions follow him, all three stay on alert in case the enemy decides to pull a surprise on them.

They're soon greeted by gunfire they take cover behind a wall, Gryphus 1 pulls the pin to one of his atomic grenades and 5 seconds later the weapon detonates painting the walls red with blood and gore, some of the blood drops from the ceiling. They move further into the base and Gryphus 1 cuts down any soldiers that stood in his way using the katana since the hallways are too narrow for the glaive.

The trio reached the weapons storage floor and suddenly split to avoid getting hit by a knife. Directing their gaze to the front they spot two people walking into view.

The first was a man in his early 40s with medium-length brown hair, gray eyes, stood at 6'3, ripped build and wore armor over a red bodysuit. He was armed with throwing knives, Block 18 pistol and staff made out of strong metal.

His partner was a young woman in her mid 20s, stood at 5'8, cold blue eyes, high C cup breasts, slender, toned frame, long black hair tied in a ponytail and wore a white short-sleeved shirt, navy blue jeans with her left leg exposed to below the hip though she didn't seem to mind it and combat boots and had a claymore strapped to her side. The way she carried herself told Gryphus 1, Meia and Mia this woman was a hardened warrior.

The man said, "You go no further." Gryphus 1 narrows his eyes at the declaration.

He replied, "Says who? You?"

The sword woman asked coldly, "What are you going to do about it if we are?"

Meia stepped in front of Gryphus 1, "Let me and Mia take care of them, Kyle. You still got a score to settle with Francesca." Gryphus 1 gives Mia the glaive before departing.

Mia said, "May we know the name of our opponents?"

The man nodded, "That's fair. My name is Satoshi, I won't reveal my last name due to personal reasons. This woman next to me is Megumi Sakura."

Meia introduced, "I'm Meia Gisborn and the person next to me is my younger twin sister Mia Gisborn." Satoshi threw her a staff that had retractable ends and Meia caught it, "How generous of you."

Satoshi told her, "Fighting an unarmed person is against my code of honor."

Megumi's eyes softened slightly, "Don't take this personal, we are just following orders." Meia twirls her staff over her head before holding it behind her back, a couple of weeks ago she asked Ken to train her in using weapons unknown to her. Ken accepted and began training her.

Gryphus 1 enters an elevator and presses the B1 button which will take him to the basement floor and the bell soon chimes, letting him know he's arrived. Stepping out of the elevator Gryphus 1 walks down the hallway and finds himself in front of the door leading to the production facility. The door slides open for him to walk through it and there standing several feet ahead of him was the person who psychologically scarred him for life.

Francesca opened her eyes, "You're here at last, Kyle Masterson. I was beginning to think you were too scared to come." She can feel the young man's bloodlust rising which excited her.

Gryphus 1 glared at her, "I have been waiting for this moment. You threw every obstacle at me and I overcame them because they would not stop me from exacting revenge on you. Francesca, you are the bane to my existence along with Diego Navarro!"

Francesca said nonchalantly, "Like I care what that man thinks."

Gryphus 1 grinned underneath his helmet, "Really? Those three goons you sent to kill me didn't survive my wrath." He noticed the woman's facial expression change, "Did you love that Jay person? Wow, who knew a sadist like you can love someone. You know what they say, don't ya? An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth."

Francesca snarled, "I'll make you regret that!"

Gryphus 1 snarled back, "Like you care. You were enjoying yourself seeing me watch my sisters being raped and murdered in front me! After my augmentation surgery I've had one objective in mind: Making you pay for the sin you and Diego Navarro committed." He draws his katana slowly and holds it in front of him so that Francesca's reflection was shown on the blade. He sees the green-haired woman drawing her own katana except hers emanated a red aura.

Francesca's facial expression changed to one of psychotic glee, "You think you were the only person with a special weapon? The Red Paksis gave me this sword and I intend to use in cutting your head off."

Gryphus 1 said, "Just bring it!" The demon in human form runs at him, jumping through the air and Gryphus 1 raises his blade to block the overhead chop then shoves Francesca away with casual ease, no doubt playing on the safe side until he discovers what Francesca's fighting style was. Once he does, he'll wait until she gives in to either fatigue or frustration then he will strike.

Francesca laughed maniacally, "That's it! Let your desire for revenge fuel you, relish in it. I want to feel our bloodlust clashing until one of us is killed!" She charges at him and they lock blades, her crazed smile reflecting off Gryphus 1's dark visor. Behind it lied cold eyes that could freeze hell itself.

He head butts her causing the woman to stagger back he shoots his Beretta at her, Francesca redirects the bullets back at Gryphus 1 who uses his sharp eyesight to determine the flight path of them before sidestepping each one.

Gryphus 1 taunted, "You can do better than that." He blocks a power attack that was intended on removing his arm.

They lock eyes growling at each other and Gryphus 1 spots Francesca thrusting her katana toward his face but he catches her arm and brutally throws her into a wall. She bounces off it gasping at the sudden pain.

The Aurelian said, "Stop toying with me, bitch unless you want to resemble Swiss cheese." He parries each of Francesca's strikes concluding that her fighting style centered around attacking the enemy hard without sacrificing defense. However, she allows her bloodlust to run wild where he keeps it in check, only releasing it to boost his offense when he sees an opening in the opponent's defense. In other words, Francesca's bloodlust can make her sloppy and open to attack.

Deciding to counterattack, Gryphus 1 runs toward Francesca at full speed and executes a diagonal thrust forcing his opponent to switch to defense. He uses his weight to push Francesca back despite her attempts of preventing him from doing so. He grabs the psychotic woman's shirt and slams her overhead and onto the ground behind him Francesca rolls away so that Gryphus 1's katana impales the floor. Had she remained there it would have been driven through her skull. Returning to her feet, the combatants ready their blades and charge.

A/N: Chapter 9 done.

Took me a while to finish this because of writer's block. I hate it when that strikes. Grr.

Kyle placed Hibiki in charge of Gryphus Squadron for the battle as his final test.

Tianlong Squadron engaged a pair of PAK-FA stealth multi-role/air superiority fighters.

Anubis made its return for the chapter making quick work of Salvation.

Lastly Kyle and Francesca have their destined battle.

My parents had to put my Collie-Husky mix dog Deoge down yesterday since he wasn't doing very good. Had cancer that spread through his body, couldn't stand on his back legs like he used to and was going deaf. I went with them to say my good-bye to him. He was 15 years old, which is pretty old for a dog. Rest in peace, buddy. May 2000-August 3, 2015.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 10.

Vader 23A


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Liberating a Planet Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Gryphus 1 blocks a horizontal slash from Francesca's blade and retaliates by kicking her knee, disrupting her balance and next kicks her in the chest. He discovered that while Francesca's defense was solid, it left her open to physical strikes and Gryphus 1 has been using punches and kicks.

He charges at his personal demon and swings his katana in a horizontal strike meant to slice Francesca in half but she dodged at the last second, however the sword cuts through her shirt leaving a nasty cut on her stomach. Francesca covers the wound with her free hand out of reflex. Reaching into one of the pouches on her belt, she grabs some healing cream and rubs it on the cut. The wound heals almost immediately earning a look of curiosity from Gryphus 1.

He commented, "So, the Red Paksis gave you more than just the katana. It gave you some sort of healing cream."

Placing the medical item into the pouch and locking it, Francesca said, "That's enough playing around." A menacing red aura emanated from her katana, "Let's see how well you do when the gloves are off."

Gryphus 1 declared, "You will die! That is a promise!"

Francesca grinned, "If that's what you intend to do, I'm going to give you everything I got. Here I come." She vanishes from sight and Gryphus 1 looks around before he spins on the heel of his boot to block a strike from his opponent's blade.

'I barely had time to block that attack. Don't tell me she...' He thought in realization.

Francesca laughed, "Did you think you were the only one that received upgrades? The Red Paksis augmented my physical abilities to match yours. My skeleton is denser than the average human's allowing me to shrug off hits that would shatter bone." At that moment Gryphus 1 concluded this battle was going to be very different from what he originally thought. He'll need to draw on all he learned from Ken if he wanted to leave this place alive.

Gryphus 1 replied, "It doesn't matter, Francesca. The fact you remains you'll die at my hands." He swings the katana in aggressive strikes to see how long Francesca can keep her defense up before it failed.

He aims for the green-haired woman's legs but Francesca uses him as a springboard to land behind him and thrusts her blade toward his back Gryphus 1 sidesteps the attack, turning to face her and picks Francesca up pinning her to his shoulder as he runs toward the wall at full speed, upon impact he lands punches on the woman's face then nails her with a powerful one and chains it with a backhand causing her to corkscrew in the air before crashing to the ground. Francesca gets up wiping the line of blood from her mouth.

She suddenly notices the Aurelian spin around to behead a cloaked figure, the now headless person appears out of nowhere spraying blood as it collapses. Gryphus 1 wasn't done as he kills 6 additional cloaked figures.

He said, "Planning to have these guys attack me when I least expected it? Not happening." He rips the last person's beating heart out of his chest.

Returning his attention to Francesca he parries her vicious attacks she then pulls her knife out of its sheath on her left arm and lands a hit on Gryphus 1's right arm though the thick fibers of his g-suit took the brunt of the attack. He shrugs off the minor burning sensation and trips Francesca, next he brutally stomps on her chest with the intent of breaking her ribs. Francesca thwarts one stomp and pushes Gryphus 1 away before standing wincing every time she breathed, no doubt discovering that some of her ribs were cracked.

Gryphus 1 taunted, "I can match your aggression easily, Francesca. I won't show you any mercy for you deserve none." He starts hammering away on her with brute strength, Francesca's barely able to withstand his power attacks and she feels him pushing her back using the momentum of his strikes. During the blade lock, he reaches for his atomic grenade Francesca first thought he intends on blowing them up when he pushes the button, activating the grenade's 5 second timer and throws it onto the conveyor belt which took it to the inside of the construction machine that builds the Death Harbingers.

After the timer reaches zero the grenade detonates tearing the interior apart. Alarms sound as the machine grinds to a halt with smoke bellowing out even as pieces of burnt metal rain down. Gryphus 1 and Francesca dodge the debris Francesca grabs two and throws one at her opponent, Gryphus 1 swats the projectile aside then spots Francesca in his face and swings the other piece debris like a baseball bat at his face though the helmet protects him, the force of it makes him stagger. She rushes at him intending on driving her katana through his heart when Gryphus 1 repels her with an uppercut followed by a kick to the chest.

Watching his opponent roll on the floor then stop, Gryphus 1 was panting not from exhaustion, no he was far from being exhausted, he was panting because he's finally able to inflict pain on the woman that ruined his life. Behind the helmet a crazed smile forms on his face relishing in the suffering Francesca was in.

Gryphus 1 said, "How does it feel getting a taste of your own medicine? Taste awful, don't it?" He remembers the lesson Ken taught him about taunting your opponent. Trash talking can disrupt their focus and give you a psychological edge but it can also backfire on you so it's a double-edged sword that must be used with caution.

Francesca throws a smoke grenade enveloping Gryphus 1's vision as she escapes, he switches to X-ray vision piercing through the smoke and detects Francesca's whereabouts by seeing her beating heart.

The Aurelian contacted the OSN Avenger's captain, "Kasumi, this is Gryphus 1. The production facility has been shut down but we have encountered some resistance, we won't be coming out soon."

Kasumi replied, _"Roger that, Gryphus 1. Finish up and get out of there, the Avenger's radar has picked up a transport plane heading towards your location."_

Gryphus 1 nodded, "Understood, ma'am. Gryphus 1 out." Ending the transmission, he chases after Francesca planning on not leaving this building until she's dead.

Up in space, the battle escalates between the Dreads, Gryphus, Tianlong and Razgriz Squadron and the Harvesters.

Catherine evades cannon fire from the PAK-FA she was engaging when she spots MiG-21s closing fast, she breaks hard left then arms her J-20's AMRAAM

She said while waiting for the missile to lock, "Trying to box me in? Get out of here with that shit." Once the locks turn red, Catherine pulls the trigger destroying the MiG-21s before engaging the PAK-FA again.

The young British woman releases chaff when she hears the missile warning, jamming the missile's radar-guidance system and retaliates with a heat-seeker but the PAK-FA pops flares to direct her missile from its target. Closing the distance Catherine fires her plane's autocannon, the bullets puncture the PAK-FA's body leaving holes. She continues firing the autocannon until the PAK-FA explodes making Catherine sigh in relief.

'Thank god it's over he was quite the formidable opponent.' She thought with respect over her downed opponent's fight against her.

Looking to her 3 o'clock, she watches Mori shoot her enemy down followed by Chang.

Mori said, _"That was the most intense dogfight I've been in."_ A flash of orange light from their 4 o'clock gets their attention, looking at that direction they spot Archangel taking a direct hit to her port side from Calamity's 18" guns. Moving in for a closer look they spot holes in Archangel's body indicating the battle between them wasn't going in the Nirvana crew's favor.

Another 18" shell barrage strikes Archangel near the engine room, penetrating the armor. Fortunately the ship's fire suppression system activated instantly to stop the fire from spreading.

Vandread Jura leads the charge on attacking the enemy airborne fortress.

Gryphus 2 fires the F-22's XLAAM on Calamity but the missiles have no effect despite their increased attack power.

Hibiki ordered, "Crux, Gryphus 2, we need to protect the Archangel. I don't know how much more damage it can take."

Crux replied, _"We need to equip our fighters with anti-ship missiles if we hope to pierce Calamity's hull, our current missiles aren't doing any damage."_

Gascogne said over the radio, _"I'm on my way over, sit tight."_

Gryphus 2 urged, _"Hurry up, Archangel's running out of time!"_ The Reg delivery ship takes off while Gryphus Squadron does what it can to protect Archangel.

Archangel fires her last cruise missile at Calamity, detonating on impact. When the smoke clears, the enemy airborne fortress was unharmed leaving the Nirvana crew in utter shock. Calamity arms the missile launchers and fires at the pesky flies that were interfering with its fight against Archangel. Vandread Jura sets its shield at full power while Gryphus Squadron takes evasive action. No matter what maneuver they try, the missiles follow them.

Crux said, "What will get these missiles off me? Chaff's no good. This better work." The E-3 Sentry II releases an electromagnetic pulse, disabling the missiles' internal components. The move allows Crux to swing around and destroy the missiles with the E-3 Sentry II's Vulcan Gatling cannons.

Gryphus 2 somersaults his F-22 so that the missiles are front of him. He fires the XLAAM on the targets, turning the enemy homing missiles into scrap metal.

He stated, "Gascogne, where the hell are you?"

The Reg leader answered, _"I'm almost there. Hold out a bit longer."_

Crux said,_ "We're gonna die if you don't get here!"_ The Reg delivery ship arrives and Vandread Jura protects it while Gryphus Squadron swaps their special weapons.

Gascogne stated, _"Delivery complete, you're good to go."_

Gryphus 2 said, "Thank you. Now get out of here before Calamity turns its sights on you." Gascogne takes his advice and leaves the vicinity.

Hibiki ordered, _"Alright, guys let's hit Calamity hard."_ They collaborate with Archangel in attacking Calamity but despite the joint attack, the enemy only suffered cosmetic damage to its hull.

Jura gritted her teeth, "Why won't this thing die?" Realizing it won't survive much longer, Archangel makes its decision.

It rerouted all power to its engines and heads directly for Calamity.

Gryphus 2 wondered, "What's it doing?" He then gasped, "It's going to do a kamikaze attack!"

Crux ordered,_ "Stop it!"_

His squad mate replied, "I can't, it's preventing me from doing so!" He then gets a message from Archangel.

It said, _"I know I am not going to survive this battle so I'm going to take Calamity out the only way I know how. It's been an honor to fight alongside you guys."_ Archangel sets the engines at full power and rams into Calamity from the port side, taking both ships out. Gryphus Squadron and pilots of Vandread Jura stare at the sight in complete shock.

Mobius 1 told them, _"Snap out of it, you four there's still a battle raging."_

Hibiki regained his composure, "He's right. Come on!" Razgriz Squadron racks up their nineteenth kill respectively and occasionally had to refill their ammunition.

Phantom blasted a group of F-16 Falcons with its shotgun and Edge said, "It's like there is no end to these guys. If we don't get help soon, we're screwed."

Blaze nodded, _"As much as I don't want to admit it but I agree with you, Edge. The surprise attack Earth did five years ago pales in comparison to this."_ Inside the military base, Meia and Mia stand back to back as they fight Satoshi and Megumi. They've been going at it for 20 minutes and their opponents haven't fallen.

Mia had blood dripping out of a cut below her left temple while her older sister had bruises on her face and her flight suit had tears in it.

Mia chuckled, "Heh, this is one interesting way of bonding, ain't it?"

The Dread leader smiled, "Bonding in the midst of battle. How weird is that?" Their facial expressions harden when they spot their respective opponents charge at them.

Mia brings the glaive over her skull to block an overhead chop and twirls it around to parry each of Megumi's attacks, they both throw a roundhouse kick that generates a shock wave. Quickly after that, their fists collide with each other, landing the occasional hit and Mia lands a powerful kick that sends Megumi rolling on the ground. She runs forward and leaps through the air with intent on impaling her opponent, Megumi rolls out of the way. Mia pulls the glaive free and whips around to catch Megumi's hand, thwarting a stab attempt from her. Next Mia kicks the black-haired woman hard enough for Megumi to lose her grip on the claymore. Unfazed by this Megumi runs toward Mia and throws a series of punches and kicks to Mia's stomach. The light blue-haired woman loses her grip on the glaive and body slams her on the concrete floor causing Mia to arch her back in sheer agony. Sheathing the claymore, Megumi uses it like a club against Mia's back sending more pain through the Dread pilot's back. Feeling a rush of adrenaline Mia catches the sheathed claymore and whacks the black-haired woman in the face with it before getting behind her, wrapping her arms around the older woman's waist and executes a German suplex. The force of the impact causes Megumi to lose grip on her claymore. Mia kicks the sword out of her reach and leans over to grab her opponent when all of a sudden Megumi jumps onto her hands and lands a kick square in Mia's chest, repelling her. The younger Gisborn returns to her feet and the two lock eyes.

Meia runs at Satoshi and stabs her staff into the ground, using all of her weight to drive her feet into the man's gut. Satoshi stumbles back then recovers to throw knives at Meia, the Dread leader deflects them and looks to crack the enemy's head open when Satoshi pulls an extra knife out and slashes Meia across the stomach, the Dread leader places her left hand on the cut. She deduced the cut wasn't very deep but it still needed to be treated to prevent an infection.

Shrugging the burning sensation off, Meia picks up one of the knives near her feet and the two fighters cautiously near each other. The knives collide generating sparks on contact until Meia stabs Satoshi in the shoulder of his dominant arm before ramming her knee into his gut, driving all the wind out of him. Feeling lightheaded due to the bleeding Meia takes an Implode and pierces Satoshi's chest, the red-orange liquid drains from the vial and into his body. Meia backs up and hears bones breaking and Satoshi screaming in agony as the weapon lived up to its name, his body shrinking in on itself until the pressure within bursts the sack of flesh, spraying its contents and covering the Dread leader in blood. Meia falls to her knees from exhaustion.

Mia too was feeling the effects of the lengthy battle and sensed the adrenaline will run out shortly, she needed to end this battle quickly.

Megumi attacks her with a rapid series of short strikes and stabs hoping one of them gets through but Mia's defense holds up, batting them away with tight parries. Spotting an opening in her opponent's defense Mia switches to offense swinging the glaive that drives Megumi onto her back foot. Mia stabs her in the left leg followed by injecting Expand into her. She kicks Megumi away before her body starts expanding uncontrollably then explodes. Sighing in relief, Mia squeezes the gliave's hilt causing both blades to retract into their standby position. She next places her free hand on her right shoulder when she felt it bleed. One of Megumi's rapid strikes left a cut on it though Mia didn't show it on her face during the fight.

Walking over to her sister, Mia helps Meia up and places an arm around her shoulders and left the weapons storage room. They soon discover an infirmary and use the medical equipment to attend to their wounds. Mia rubs some disinfectant alcohol on her cut, hissing slightly from the burning sensation and then applies some ointment. Next she removes the chest and shoulder padding before unzipping her flight suit to repeat the self-treatment on her shoulder.

Meia turns on the faucet of a sink and removes the blood off her face with cold water though her flight suit would need to be fixed and cleaned. She then look into the mirror seeing her reflection stare back at her, the bruises weren't too bad and would heal in a couple of days.

Once they finish treating their injuries, Mia and Meia decide to rest for a while.

Gryphus 1 enters some storage room that had volatile chemicals inside, he knew that if the containers leaked it would take only one spark to ignite them. Prior to entering the room he engaged a horde of demons that were once humans. They were part of an experiment conducted by the descendants of the Gray Men, probably as part of a new program that would use demons as foot soldiers. The abominations made him use up all of his Implodes, Expands and atomic grenades so he was down to his knife, M9A1 Beretta pistol and katana which suited him just fine.

Switching to thermal vision to see in the darkness, Gryphus 1 searches for Francesca since he saw her enter this place. He looks around in caution the only audible sound is his own breathing through his helmet.

He said, "Why are you hiding, Francesca? Could it be that you realized you have bitten off more than you can chew? Face it, Francesca there is no escape for you now. Death's calling your name and you won't deny him your soul."

Francesca replied, "My soul isn't ready to be collected. Yours is, though."

Gryphus 1 said coldly, "We shall see." He whips around to block a horizontal slash from Francesca's blade and using economy of motion rips it out of her hands followed by landing a vicious left hook.

Francesca blinked in surprise before demanding, "What is the deal with your hand?!" Her only response is another vicious left hook to the stomach forcing blood and spit out of her mouth.

Gryphus 1 said, "The surgeons were kind enough to give me an artificial left hand to replace the organic one. You may have a denser skeletal frame but how much punishment can it take before a bone shatters? Let's test it out." Grabbing her throat, he hits Francesca in the face then slams her onto the floor.

The psychotic woman gritted her teeth, "Die, you fiend!" Gryphus 1 sidesteps each of her strikes before driving his knee into her stomach then delivers a kick that sends her flying.

Gryphus 1 stated, "I see the Red Paksis gave you some form of night vision. Nice but utterly futile." Francesca retrieves her katana and the two clash again.

The sound metal against metal echoes throughout the room and Francesca scores a hit on Gryphus 1's helmet leaving a mild scratch mark, he jumps to avoid getting his feet cut off. However, Francesca unleashes a powerful punch that sends Gryphus 1 into a wall. She next throws a grenade at the ceiling above him causing debris to fall. Huge slabs of steel reinforced concrete land on top of Gryphus 1 burying him underneath it.

Francesca panted, "Looks like your revenge has been denied, boy. Pity. I never got the chance to tell him that Diego Navarro orchestrated the oil rig attack that his dad, Daniel Masterson was on." She suddenly feels a chill run down her spine. Turning around, she barely dodges a stab from Gryphus 1's katana but leaves herself wide open for a brutal kick to the ribs. After rolling on the ground, Francesca curls into a fetal position holding her stomach and moans in pain.

Looking through the pain filled haze, she spots Gryphus 1 standing there with one half of his helmet missing down to the neck, his g-suit had tears in it with some bigger than others, his gloves were trashed, the synthetic skin over his left arm was torn up, exposing the artificial hand. He discards the helmet and Onryo Mode activates in response to his seething anger and bloodlust, his eyes turn red with slit pupils and glowing red vein marks appear. With a belly full of fire, Gryphus 1 draws on his full rage. In response to this the Onryo Mode goes to a second level, causing his teeth to lengthen into deadly fangs, grows claws on his organic right hand and the glowing red vein marks to climb up his neck until they merge on his face which made the skin turn pitch black until only his red eyes are visible. The black aura emitted bolts of red lightning.

Gryphus 1 said in that demonic voice, **"So my father's death wasn't an accident. It was all Diego Navarro's doing? Congratulations, you gave me all the more reason to killing you two! I'll make sure you die a thousand times over down in the pits of hell!"** Hearing his personal demon moan in pain, he grinned, **"Your suffering has only begun."** Walking up to Francesca, he grabs her face and steam somehow appears. Francesca feels like someone took red-hot metal and pressed it against her flesh.

The next thing she feels is Gryphus 1 slamming her against the wall repeatedly creating a spider web-shaped crack that grows with each impact. Upon the final hit, he body slams her on the ground numerous times before holding Francesca off the ground with an outstretched arm. He then backhands her and his fully extended wrist blades leave deep cuts on her cheek, she rolls around on the floor like a rag doll. Francesca struggles to get up, the pain of broken ribs and in her back made her vision blurry. She manages to restore her footing and Gryphus 1 strikes at her with his full fury, all Francesca can do is defend herself as best as she could but the enraged Aurelian pounds at her without restraint. The combination of his ruthless barrage and pain of her injuries wears Francesca down and with one ferocious overhead chop, Gryphus 1 destroys her katana. Noticing the fear of death in the woman's eyes, Gryphus 1 advances forward methodically and slices both of her legs off with no remorse making Francesca scream in pure agony she attempts to crawl away but Gryphus 1 severs her right arm.

Staring at Francesca with disdain he kicks her to where the chemicals are located, her body crashes into them causing the glass containers to break open and the volatile liquids to pool around her. A burning sensation assaults her nose and Francesca realizes what she's laying in and footsteps alert to her attacker's presence.

Gryphus 1 looks at her with a dark smile, **"How does it feel to experience the pain you've caused me? It hurts pretty bad, don't it?"** He raised both the katana and wrist blades placing the katana on top in a cross pattern, **"I recall you did something like this to me before I was...resurrected. The sickening scent of my flesh being seared by flames and the pain it brought was mind-numbing. And now you have a date with death!"** He slides the katana across the wrist blades generating sparks that ignite the chemicals on contact.

Gryphus 1 retrieves his helmet and exits the storage room while relishing in Francesca's scream of agony as her flesh burnt.

The Gisborn sisters continue to rest when Meia senses someone in the doorway of the infirmary. Directing her gaze at that direction she spots Gryphus 1 fall to his hands and knees as red lighting continues to arc, she quickly discovers what's happening and rushes over.

She winces when the black aura burns her hand but gets through it and touches her lover's shoulder.

She said, "It's okay, Kyle. Francesca's dead. So please calm yourself, don't let the Onryo Mode possess you."

Gryphus 1 said, "It's...hard...to do that." He fights with all his might not to hurt Meia under the mode's influence, clenching his fists as he struggles to get the Onryo Mode under control.

Meia smiled, "You have an unbreakable will, dear." She hugs him, this in turn causes the aura to die down and Onryo Mode to deactivate, his skin returns to its normal color, the glowing red vein marks recede and his eyes gain their normal appearance.

Sweat drips to the floor while Gryphus 1 pants from his battle with Francesca, whatever cuts he sustained heal instantly thanks to the Onryo Mode. He reminds himself not to become addicted to its power. If Gryphus 1 did he would lose his humanity in the process, something he didn't want.

Mia gives him a cup of water and he downs it instantly.

Meia's communicator beeped and she answered, "This is Meia."

Kasumi said,_ "That enemy transport plane is almost at your location. Get out of there now!"_

Gryphus 1 stated, "I got a better idea. Meia, your wrist computer should have the ability to hack into the Mason Cannon's mainframe. If the Archangel's network connection was unprotected then the Mason Cannon should have the same thing." Sorting through her wrist computer, Meia discovers her lover was right.

So with Gryphus 1's help, Meia hacks into the Mason Cannon's mainframe. Several minutes pass by until she succeeds in turning the weapons to their side.

Outside, on top of buildings the Mason Cannons target the approaching transport plane and fire, pink beams of energy scream through the sky then hit the enemy airplane. The air frame initially withstands the assault but the beams' overwhelming power quickly overcome the enemy transport's structural limits and begins to break up. The gun turrets follow the transport as it falls to the ground, the giant airplane crashes into the ground and a fireball engulfs it.

Kasumi said, _"What was that?"_

Meia told her, "Gryphus 1 helped me turn the Mason Cannons on the enemy."

Kasumi ordered, _"In any case, get your asses out of there immediately."_ The three do just that and exit the base, they manage to make out of the vicinity when a thud erupts from the ground causing them to stop and turn around. At first they think it was some underground explosion but the thuds grow louder and more frequent to the point where the actual ground shakes.

Suddenly Hades comes out of the ground, eyes glowing a menacing yellow.

Francesca exclaimed, _"Kyle! It's not over yet! There is no escape!"_

Gryphus 1 glared at the machine, "Back for more, huh? That's fine by me, it makes me happy knowing I get to defeat you again. This time, however you will die permanently. Come to me, Anubis!" The mechanical lord of the dead arrives and kneels, lowering its hand for Gryphus 1 to get on.

After he does, Anubis stands and bring its hand toward the chest so that Gryphus 1 can enter the cockpit. The canopy seal closes and Anubis draws its sword Reaper unleashing a roar of challenge. Hades responds by drawing its sword staff, igniting one blade.

Round 2...FIGHT!

Hades charges at Anubis sword staff held in both hands and swings it sideways only to have it being parried by Reaper then pushes Hades back, switching to offense Anubis swings its blade in broad strokes prompting the opponent to back up then Reaper is swung in arcs. Anubis next cartwheels bringing all of its weight down on the next attack making Hades hold the sword staff over its head to protect itself. Anubis surprises the challenger by grabbing its leg knocking Hades off balance and swings it through buildings 5 or 6 times before releasing it, the momentum sends Hades flying through the air then crashing into every building in front of it.

The Gisborn sisters board the landing shuttle and exit the battlefield.

Seeing the shuttle leave, Gryphus 1 knows he doesn't have to hold back now.

Anubis grabs Hades' leg and throws it through another building, Hades tries to get up but Anubis pushes it back down using its foot, next it stomps repeatedly on Hades followed by a kick. Hades catches Anubis off guard by tackling it and kicks it through more buildings. Arriving where the opponent crash landed, Hades stares at the motionless Anubis.

Inside the cockpit, Francesca had a smile on her severely burnt face.

Anubis stood up and Gryphus 1 taunted,_ "Is that your best?" _Infuriated by the insult, Francesca growls.

Up in space the Nirvana and allies continue to put up stubborn resistance against the Harvesters but the battle was slowly turning against them.

The Nirvana fires a salvo of homing lasers at the enemy but more kept coming.

Bart said, "Man, how many of them are there?" A Dread pilot gets shot down by cube-types and her squad mates seek to avenge but they share her fate.

Grimm asked, "Kasumi, where are the reinforcements?"

Kasumi answered, _"I'm doing my best, Grimm. None of the nearby planets are responding to me at the moment. Just hold on a bit longer."_

Edge gritted her teeth, _"For fuck's sake, Kasumi we won't last that long at this rate!"_ Mobius 1 doesn't take any hits during his dogfight with the MiG-29 Fulcrums.

Avoiding a missile he swings the Falken around and retaliates with missiles of his own. Chasing after the lead Fulcrum's wingmen, Mobius 1 switches to the Tactical Laser. The nose of the Falken opens up and he fires a pink laser beam shoots out and cuts the Fulcrums down like they're nothing.

Gryphus 2 barrel rolls enemy fire and uses the F-22's M61A2 Vulcan Gatling cannon. Lethal 20mm bullets fly out of the barrels and rips enemy cube-types apart, the Raptor's radar sends out a warning that more enemy reinforcements are inbound. Looking to his 9 o'clock he glares at the approaching F-35s, however they don't last long against Gryphus 2's piloting which made him believe these F-35s barely came out of actual production.

Crux and Vandread Dita protect the Nirvana from enemy attack.

Back with Hades and Anubis, Francesca's machine wasn't faring well against Anubis.

'I underestimated Kyle's desire to kill me.' She thought.

Anubis blocks a strike aimed at its waist and kicks Hades square in the chest catapulting it backwards, it quickly gives chase then lands a punch that knocked pieces of metal off Hades' face. Getting up Hades fires its shoulder cannon but Anubis brings its wings forward to shield itself, the beam of energy bounces off and flies off in some random direction. The dark gray mechanical god of the dead pulls its wings back to shift the left arm into its cannon form, the barrel glows a crimson red as energy begins collecting inside. Charge complete, Anubis fires its cannon and the force of the beam pushes Hades back until it crashes into a skyscraper and the top of it lands on top of Hades. Anubis' gun arm changes into its normal appearance. The skyscraper explodes and Hades emerges from the rubble, gaping holes lined its body.

A snarl escapes Francesca's lips while Gryphus 1 took joy in punishing her for all of her sins.

Suddenly Hades somehow begins charging the atmosphere and turns the lightning red. Thousands volts of electricity flash and gets absorbed by Hades' shoulder cannon.

Francesca grinned, "Let's see if you can survive this." Anubis lets out a challenging roar and Hades takes to the sky before doing a strafing run.

Anubis sidesteps thus allowing the beam to pass by it harmlessly. It spots the opponent coming around for another pass and this time Anubis stands its ground and allows the beam to make contact, however instead of damaging it the energy gets absorbed by the wings. A plan forms in Gryphus 1's mind.

He allows Hades to come at him and Anubis grabs Hades' feet and stops it. Undeterred, Hades continues firing and Anubis keeps absorbing the energy until its wings glow an eerie dark red.

Francesca's eyes widened, "What?"

Gryphus 1 smiled coldly, _"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"_ Anubis fires an amplified Ray of Damnation at point-blank range, moments later Hades explodes in a massive fireball. Pieces of debris rain down as Anubis roars in victory.

Taking to the skies, Anubis shifts into Fenrir and heads for space to rejoin the Nirvana and its allies to repel the Harvesters.

A/N: Chapter 10 done.

Tianlong Squadron won their fight against the PAK-FA multi-role/air superiority fighters.

Archangel fought valiantly against Calamity but her weaponry couldn't take it out so it did kamikaze on Calamity, taking both out.

Mia and Meia defeated Megumi and Satoshi.

Lastly Kyle defeated Francesca, slaying one personal demon in the process. Just to point this out, some of the abilities that Kyle had in this chapter such as regenerative ability, able to see in the dark without the aid of his helmet, etcetera are only possible when the Onryo Mode's in level two. The drawback is that it makes him violent and a little sadistic in battle.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 11.

Vader 23A


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Liberating a Planet Part 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Emboldened by Archangel's sacrifice, the Harvesters increase their aggression on the opposition.

Barnette weaves through enemy missiles and fires her Dread's laser cannons on the F-15 Eagles, a bead of sweat rolls down her face and she wipes it away with her glove.

'I haven't been in a battle like this in a long time.' She thought.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spots an anti-ship missile pierce the Nirvana's weakened shields and hit her port side generating a fireball that briefly envelops the ship.

In her bridge control console, Ezra stated, "The Nirvana's port side has been hit!"

Magno narrowed her eyes, "This is not good. If we don't get backup soon, we're done for." Her prayer is answered when a familiar aircraft joins the battle.

Amarone smiled, "Gryphus 1 has returned!" The landing shuttle the Gisborn sisters are in docks with the Nirvana and they walk out. After it was complete, the shuttle's pilot steers the vehicle away from the ship.

As much as they wanted to rejoin the battle, they still haven't recovered from their fight with Satoshi and Megumi so with reluctance they watch the battle.

Gryphus 1 combines with Barnette's Dread to form Ma'at.

Aiming its Gatling gun, Ma'at opens fire on the approaching MiG-29 Fulcrums but more fighter jets close in, prompting the pilots to activate all of Ma'at's weapons, missile ports and all. Gaining multiple locks, they fire. A rain of bullets and missiles descend on the Fulcrums. Ma'at whips around to fire its high-powered rifle on Fakedread Dita then shoots the Gatling gun on Fakedread Meia without looking.

Amarone asked, "How is Gryphus 1 still going after his battle with Francesca?" Meia told them of what happened in the production facility after their returned to the Nirvana.

Gryphus 2 said, _"Because he's the fucking Terminator, that's why."_ His statement is further reinforced by the way Gryphus 1 continued using his biological augmentation, fighting the Harvesters with no pity or remorse and with a stoic expression on his face. As more Harvester units fell victim to his wrath Gryphus 1 imagined Diego Navarro cursing him every time, something he relished in.

Crux finishes resupplying his E-3 Sentry II's weaponry and releases an electromagnetic pulse that disables a group of cube-types and fires the AMRAAM missile on them.

Dead Eye fires its high-caliber sniper rifle at a copycat version of her unit, blowing its arm off then aims for the power unit inside its chest. The bullet punches through the armor plating and emerges through the other end after scoring a direct hit to the generator. After watching the enemy explode Dead Eye fires its minigun at enemy missiles coming from her 12 o'clock high.

Bulls Eye's minigun tears MiG-27s apart like they were nothing. Chopper briefly switches to the shoulder missile launchers to down MiG-31 Foxhounds. Shoving its minigun into Fakedread Jura's stomach, Bulls Eye fills the Fakedread Jura with lead, the Fakedread's body shakes as each bullet penetrates it.

Devastator battles another Fakedread Dita with its drill after the enemy destroyed the black robot's primary weapon. Fakedread Dita swings its mounted laser cannon generating sparks as it made contact with the drill. Fakedread Dita avoids a jab from the opponent. Grimm's eyes narrow as he continues to keep his challenger on the defense, watching for any openings to present themselves.

Phantom kicks the copycat version of her unit back and takes aim with her shotgun, the explosive shells take out the arms, then the legs, then the head and finally the torso.

Despite their efforts, the seemingly never ending Harvesters keep coming back for more.

On board the OSN Avenger Kasumi gritted her teeth at the seemingly numerous enemy units before her radio operator stated, "Captain, we're picking up new signatures on radar."

Kasumi asked in weary, "Do we know who they are?"

She got her answer when the voice of a pilot said, _"This is Gregory Stein, leader of the Osean 705th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, we received word about your situation and would like to help."_ A formation of pale blue F-15E Strike Eagles

Kasumi's eyebrow twitched dangerously, "What took you guys so long?"

Gregory explained,_ "We were originally meant to head out the moment we received your request for assistance but the Harvesters launched a surprise attack so it took a while to clear the runway. I apologize for taking so long. We'll make up for it by assisting you in this battle."_ He then ordered his wingmen, _"Okay, boys it's time to check these fools into the Smackdown Hotel."_ He gives the order to disperse and authorizes the use of special weapons.

Gregory lines up with a cube-type's 6 o'clock high and fires an AIM-120D Sparrow, the missile's radar guidance system led the projectile toward its target. The cube-type gets trashed by the air to air missile.

His wingmen prove to formidable opponents as well because whatever enemy that came across them stood no chance.

Chopper spots an opening in Fakedread Dita's defense and alters the angle of his attacks and start batting away on the enemy, it soon grabs the arm holding its laser cannon and targets Fakedread Dita's chest, the drill starts piercing the armor plating until it reached the generator. The generator gets penetrated and sets off a chain reaction, Devastator withdraws its drill before an explodes tears Fakedread to smithereens.

Gryphus 1 uses his sharp eyesight to see where the cube-types were coming from then he spots a cloaked airborne fortress reflecting light off the red dwarf star. He instantly recognized what it is.

Firing Ma'at's boosters, he and Barnette close in and fire the Gatling gun until it damages the Optical Camoflauge System to the point where it can't function anymore.

The Gleipnir class airborne fortress becomes visible and the pilots taken in the ship's appearance.

It was colored white, massive in size and had little weaponry on it which indicated that this one was more of an assault carrier than a battle fortress. To compensate for the minimal weaponry, the assault carrier had thick armor.

Kasumi said in surprise, "They brought a second Gleipnir class airborne fortress and it was cloaked this entire time?"

Blaze added, _"It must have been where the fighter jets came from. Let's turn this behemoth into scrap metal. All units, form up we are finishing this in one go."_ Razgriz Squadron forms up and they head for the assault carrier, Antares.

Blaze aims Dead Eye's high-caliber sniper rifle at the assault carrier's engines but the bullets hardly dent the armor covering them. She then notices launching ports open up on Antares' back and a missile's head comes into view.

Gryphus 1's eyes widened in shock, "Is that what I think it is?"

Gryphus 2 said, _"That's a Shockwave Ballistic Missile."_ The memory of Gryphus Squadron's near destruction over Cape Aubrey at the hands of the Gleipnir flashes through Gryphus 1's mind.

Behind his helmet, he shook his head while wearing a horrified look on his face, "No. Not again. I don't want the past repeat itself." He dons an angry expression before squeezing the control spheres and Ma'at arms its missiles, Gatling gun and high-powered rifle and upon gaining multiple locks he fires. The maelstrom of bullets and missiles impact Antares hard, destroying the SWBM launching ports at the same time. Caved in metal took the launching ports' place.

Gryphus 1 gritted his teeth, "Why do you punks fight when you know you will lose?"

Hibiki said,_ "Crux, Gryphus 2, are you up for one more attack run on a Gleipnir class airborne fortress?"_

Gryphus 2 grinned, _"You bet. Tell us where to strike and we'll do it."_

Hibiki instructed, _"I want you two bull ram through Antares' hull and emerge through the bow. Dita and I will target the engines. Once that's done our allies will hammer Antares' with everything they've got."_ Vandread Dita detaches its shoulder mounted laser cannons and joins them into a javelin. After it's done charging up the shiny blue Vandread throws it, the javelin pierces the engines taking away the assault carrier's means of movement. Seeing they're up next, Crux and Gryphus 2 light up the afterburners and bull rush at the target, an aqua green aura envelops their respective airplanes.

The F-22 and E-3 Sentry II ram through Antares' interior trashing internal components before emerging through the ship's bow.

Gryphus 1 said, "It's not going anywhere now. All units, open fire on the assault carrier." The Nirvana fires its homing lasers, the Dreads and Tianlong Squadron unleash their missiles, the Osean 705th Fighter-Bomber Squadron fired their anti-ship missiles and Razgriz Squadron fire their respective weapons while Devastator uses its drill to tear a gaping hole in the ship's underbelly. Strangely Antares survives the attack thanks to its thick armor.

Amarone informed, "The enemy airborne fortress is still intact, captain. Our weapons are simply not causing enough damage."

On board the Avenger, Kasumi contacted, "Let me handle that. Natsu!" The screen pops up to show an attractive young woman of 22 years of age, long blonde hair tied in a braid, fair skin, amber eyes covered by black framed glasses and wore a red blouse, blue shorts, white socks and black shoes standing in the computer room. All in all, her attire gave Natsu an aura that radiated computer geek.

The young woman asked, _"Yes, captain?"_

Kasumi said, "Our fighters are having trouble taking down Antares. Can you adjust the Mason Cannon's program it to shoot down objects above the planet?"

Natsu saluted,_ "Leave it to me, captain. I'm not called the greatest computer wiz for nothing."_ Closing the monitor, Natsu fixed her glasses and popped her fingers, "Okay, Harvesters. You threaten to steal our eyes and we'll fight back. Hard. Antares will serve as an example." Her fingers start running across the keyboard at blinding speed modifying the Mason Cannons' rate of fire, range and targeting system and presses the enter key. A loading bar quickly fills before the computer showed her the message "Program rewriting complete".

Down on Gaia's surface, on top of their assigned buildings, the Mason Cannons aim as high as they can possibly go and fire in short bursts. The pink beams travel through Gaia's atmosphere and enter space, connecting with Antares' armored frame. The Nirvana and her allies do another joint barrage. The end result is the fighters hammering at the enemy assault carrier with near ruthless aggression.

After 10 minutes of constantly getting hit, Antares finally succumbs to the relentless barrage. In response to this the surviving Harvest units retreat from the red dwarf system, the crew of every allied ship cheer in victory.

Kasumi leans back in her seat on the Avenger's bridge, sighing in relief that the fierce battle was finally over.

The next few weeks are spent repairing damaged units, both ground and air teams recovering from the battle and a funeral for all the souls that perished in the fight. Coincidentally it was also Chang's 29th birthday so they set up a reasonably sized party for him. When the party was over, the crew went back to their duties.

The Osean mechanics were generous enough to help the Nirvana crew repair the ship and Dreads. Tianlong, Gryphus Squadron and Mobius 1 sustained no damage to their fighter jets. Apparently this fight pushed the pilots to their limit, forcing them to go beyond their normal piloting ability.

Meia and Mia had their flight suits repaired while Kyle had his helmet, g-suit and the synthetic skin over his artificial left arm fixed.

Mori opens her eyes to find herself in the Nirvana's infirmary.

A voice said, "Glad you're awake, sleepy." Mori directs her gaze to her right and spots Catherine sitting in a chair next to her bedside, one leg crossed over the other and arms crossed.

Catherine answered her incoming question, "You passed out the moment you came out of your J-20. Heh, never thought I'd see you be that exhausted. I must say you looked adorable sleeping especially your face, so peaceful it was."

Mori blushed, "Do you like teasing everyone or just me?" Her blush increases when Catherine stands up and come closer, leaning over the slightly older woman her dyed brown hair surrounding Mori like a curtain.

Catherine formed a teasing grin, "Sometimes but you're so cute, I can't resist." She cupped Mori's cheek and said in a seductive tone, "Especially this."

Mori said, "What are you talking-" She gets cut off when the young British woman presses her lips against hers, Mori's eyes widen in shock before closing. The kiss gets a little heated when they French kiss though Mori was a little hesitant. The kissing goes on for about 5 minutes before they had to separate. A hot blush stains Mori's cheeks.

Catherine asked, "How was that, cutie?"

The slightly older woman said, "Why did you do that?"

Catherine gave her a quick peck, "Isn't it obvious? I love you. Not like a sister but actually love you, Mori Akaboshi." The blush turns a deeper shade of red from the the way Catherine's blue eyes bore into her dark brown ones.

Mori asked, "But...what about...your feelings of Chang?"

The British woman replied, "I've come to realize it was a crush than actual love. In fact, prior to coming here I talked to Chang about it and he said he completely understands." She enjoyed watching Mori squirm as her hand wanders over the young Japanese woman's body, starting at her face then going downward to her thigh.

Mori shoved her away, "Stop that, please." Thankfully Catherine stops her teasing.

She giggled, "As much as I want to continue making you a blushing mess, I'll comply with your order. However, Mori if you want to resume our moment feel free to visit my room. Sayonara." Once her friend was gone, Mori places a hand over her chest feeling her heart beating madly. That little teasing Catherine formed butterflies in her stomach.

The young Japanese woman had never shown any interest in anyone. At least on the romantic level but there was something about her squad mate that Mori couldn't figure. Was it Catherine's personality or the confession she just made about being in love with her?

This strange new feeling confused her, she lays back down to recover from the exhausting battle. She then senses another person coming towards her, turning her head she watches Chang make his way over. Fortunately the blush on Mori's face disappears.

He sat down, "Hey Mori, how are you feeling?"

Mori answered, "Better." They start talking in a civil matter.

Kyle and Meia sit in the library reading some books with intent on finding more clues about Aurelia's fate. They flip through page after page hoping to find something but don't find any useful information. Just when their frustrations reached its limit, Kyle spots a chapter that talked about some invasion. Focusing on that chapter they find their interest growing.

Kyle read, "In the year 2038, the Gray Men struggled to complete their super soldiers program due to lack of funds so they staged an invasion with full intent of global domination as well as obtaining additional funding. The invasion started at Usea and steadily progressed over the Osean continent and beyond. Usea and its allies were able to hold the invading forces long enough for Mobius 1 and his surviving ally to escape the carnage. All opposition was crushed by the start of 2039. Despite this, Aurelia, Leasath and other countries secretly continued to build colonization ships that'll one day allow humanity to live among the stars. They received funding through discreet third-parties that hated the Gray Men. They eventually caught wind of the project and searched for the bases, however to their chagrin the bases were hidden deep inside mountain ranges, deep enough so they can remain undetected by military satellites." Sadly the information ends there.

They close the books and Kyle rubs the bridge of his nose.

Meia said, "That's one more piece of the puzzle found."

Kyle told her, "That doesn't help my contempt of the Gray Men. In fact something tells me they did something else but what?"

Meia placed a hand over his, "Cheer up, Kyle. We'll figure out what became of Aurelia after your squad's disappearance, I promise." That evening Ken finalizes the agreement with Kasumi about their alliance.

Eugene and Jura sit on a hill looking at the horizon, Jura's hand crawls its way toward Eugene's and locks them together and rests her head on the man's shoulder earning a look of surprise from Eugene. However, the feeling of her smooth skin was nice. He's surprised further when Jura straddles his lap and presses her lips against his, arms wrapping around his neck while Eugene's secures his hands around her waist. The kiss lasted for about one minute before they had to break for air.

Eugene asked, "What was that for?"

Jura giggled, "What? I'm not allowed to kiss my boyfriend? That is what we are now, right?"

The young man said, "Well...yeah. I'm going to miss being on solid ground, it's certainly better than being inside a futuristic spaceship for most of this journey."

Jura stroked his hair, "Don't worry, sweetie. We are near the end of the trip back to Tarak/Mejale territory."

Eugene sighed, "You're right but why do I get the feeling that our welcome home reception won't be pleasant?"

The blonde-haired Dread pilot told him, "Stay positive, Eugene." After bidding farewell to their newfound allies, the Nirvana crew departs from Gaia.

Kyle meets up with Hibiki and his squad mates.

He praised, "You did well being in charge of Gryphus Squadron during the battle with the Harvesters. That proved you are fully capable of being a squadron leader if you wanted."

Hibiki smiled, "Thank you, Kyle. You and Meia taught me a lot."

Kyle advised, "Don't let it go to your head though, kid. Arrogance can be anyone's weakness." Turning around he walks toward his and Meia's bedroom to change into a different set of clothes for his date with Meia, stating that it'd be a good learning experience seeing that neither has been on a date before.

He settles with a blue polo shirt, tan cargo pants, socks and his blue with white trimming shoes and finishes by removing his circlet. Ready for the date, Kyle sets out to meet Meia in the Nirvana's garden. Arriving at the meeting spot, he notices the Dread leader hadn't shown up yet. He rocks on his heels, arms crossed behind his back.

Meia's voice called out, "Sorry I'm late, Kyle." Whipping around Kyle blinks in surprise at what the light blue-haired woman had on.

Meia wore a short-sleeve red blouse, black miniskirt, light gray stockings, had some eyeliner on, heeled shoes and didn't have her circlet on. All in all, the Mejalian was a sight to behold.

She asked, "What do you think?"

Kyle answered, "You look amazing, Meia. I must say this is the first time I've seen you wear something other than your flight suit."

Meia smiled with a blush, "Thank you, Kyle. Jura helped me with this, stating that if I wanted this date to be right I'd need help from a self-proclaimed fashion expert like her. Heh, guess it was effective seeing the reaction from you." Rebooting his mind, he offers his hand and they head out.

Sitting at a table set up for them, they order their meal of choice. Kyle decided to go for a steak cooked medium with a side of salad with ranch dressing and Meia ordered the same.

Eugene, dressed in some waiter outfit writes down the orders on the little note pad and bows stating their meals will be ready shortly. Once he reaches the kitchen, he hands Ken and Barnette the ordered meals and they start cooking.

Ken surprised Barnette when he said he was an excellent cook though Ken admitted he wasn't at the beginning so he watched cooking shows, books, anything source of information that would help improve his cooking skills.

Kyle and Meia casually chat with each other until their meals arrived. They soon dig in.

Over the course of the date, Kyle felt joy running through him. Spending time with the Dread leader was one of the few things he loved in his tormented life. It brought comfort.

They picked the meals clean and Eugene comes over to retrieve the plates and brings them to the kitchen for cleaning. Kyle next leads Meia to the Nirvana's garden.

He offered his hand, "Meia, would you join me in a dance?"

Meia asked, "What for?"

Kyle shrugged, "Because it fits the mood."

Meia smiled, nodding, "Sure." Taking his hand, the two start dancing to some imaginary music.

He twirls the Dread leader around with grace that surprised both of them.

Meia said, "I never knew you could dance so well."

Kyle admitted, "I didn't but I watched my parents dance a couple of times." They danced for another 10 minutes before they decide to retire for the night but Meia had one more surprise for him.

After a searing kiss the Dread leader tells him to close his eyes and don't peek, Kyle closes them deciding to play along.

A minute later, Meia said, "Okay, you can open them now." Obeying her command, Kyle opens his blue-gray eyes and they almost comically bulge out of their sockets at what the Dread leader's wearing.

She donned a lingerie styled bra that was transparent past her ribs, silky nylon stockings attached to a garter belt and panties.

Meia leaned forward, "Does it excite you?"

Kyle said, "Why do I have the weirdest feeling that Mia had something to do with this?" Inside their room, Mia was riding Alex when she suddenly sneezes and made her stop thrusting.

Alex asked, "Why'd you sneeze?"

Mia rubbed her nose, "Someone must be talking about me." She starts moving up and down again, moaning at the feeling of Alex's member hitting her g-spot repeatedly.

(Lemon time. You know the rest, right?)

Kyle kisses Meia while wrapping his arms around her slender waist and the light blue-haired woman places hers around Kyle's neck, pressing herself against him in the process. Meia removes Kyle's shirt without breaking the kiss, moaning when she feels kissing her neck attacking the pulse there. The sensation causes Meia to become wet between her legs the feeling intensifies when Kyle's hands venture down her sides toward her shapely hips then rub her firm, toned rear end giving each cheek a good squeeze in turn making the Dread leader squirm. Finally separating from the kiss, Meia reaches behind her to find the clasp, couple of snaps later she tosses the undergarment aside exposing her beautiful breasts to Kyle. He gives Meia a gentle smooch before taking one nipple into his mouth gently biting the pink nub and Meia runs her fingers through Kyle's black hair while moaning her approval. Meia's other breast isn't left untreated because Kyle rubs it in circles. Meia leads them to the bed and softly pushes Kyle onto his back as their tongues wrestle each other. A trail of saliva forms when they break the kiss. Straddling her lover Meia runs her hands over the Aurelian's toned chest thanks to being trained by Ken Kitsuragi. Sitting up straight Meia allows Kyle to drink in her stunning body.

Kyle said, "I had no idea Mia would talk you into this."

Meia giggled, "That's half true but the main reason is I wanted to do something different whenever we make love so Mia gave me this lingerie since we wear the same size."

Kyle smiled, "Which is nice seeing how snugly it fits you." His reward was a passionate kiss from the light blue-haired woman.

She moves down and undoes the buckle to Kyle's cargo pants and both it and his underwear down, freeing his erection. Meia wraps her slender hand on it earning moans from Kyle as she strokes it. Meia stands up to remove her soaked panties then joins Kyle on the bed again. She turns over, presenting her pussy while she faced his member placing them in the 69 position

Kyle pulls her butt down to eat her out, Meia moans in pleasure before taking her lover's cock into her mouth, licking it as if it was an ice cream cone. Kyle moves two fingers into Meia's vagina getting covered with juices in the process, he next targets the young woman's clitoris using his thumb to rub the sensitive bulb in circles. Meia cries out in desire from the stimulation and adds her breasts in conjunction with her mouth trying to push them over the edge simultaneously. It becomes a contest of who can reach the climax first and Kyle ends up winning, Meia screams out her release coating Kyle's fingers with her juices. Meia looks over her shoulder panting.

She pouted, "No fair, I wanted both of us to climax."

Her lover playfully rolled his eyes, "Oh, stop. We're moving to the main event so relax, princess." Meia rolls onto her back and Kyle rubs his cock over her pussy then pushes in earning a gasp of pleasure from Meia.

Kyle moves in slow strokes while watching Meia's breasts move up and down, she lifts her arms and pulls Kyle down to press her lips against his. Wanting to feel more of him, the Dread leader brings him flush against her loving the feeling of her breasts rubbing against his chest. She rocks her hips in time with his thrusts allowing Kyle to hit Meia's deepest spots inside her pussy. The Aurelian removes Meia's hands from his back and places them above her head and stares at into her eyes, aqua blue meeting blue-gray.

Meia said, "Kyle." She felt him speed up, "That's it, Kyle! Faster! Harder!" Her moans grow louder and the bed squeaks.

One female was passing by when she hears the loud moans and knocks on the locked door.

She asked, "Kyle, you okay in there?"

Kyle said, "Everything's fine, ma'am. Now get lost!" Not wanting to be on the receiving end of his anger, the woman briskly walks away.

Back inside the room, he asked Meia, "Now, where were we? Oh, yeah." He resumes thrusting into Meia who starts moaning again.

Kyle feels Meia's warm inner walls tighten and was dangerously close to bursting. Meia wraps her legs wanting to join him in climax, 5 more thrusts later and they moan in unison. Kyle fires into Meia's vagina panting it white and Meia twitches at the feeling of his hot seed entering her. After the last burst, Kyle collapses onto her panting.

Meia grinned, "My goodness, you are still hard. I'm up for one more round." She reverses their positions and straddles Kyle, rubbing his member with her wet pussy then grabs hold of it Meia moans in pleasure as she lowers herself. The Dread leader soon discovered this was her favorite position it gave her a sense of control.

Placing her hands on Kyle's chest, she rocks back and forth while Kyle holds the young woman's shapely hips.

Meia moaned, "It feels so good. I missed doing this." Kyle moans at the feeling of Meia's pussy grinding and caressing his cock, the black-haired man switches to holding the Dread leader's toned butt aiding her in moving.

Meia picks up the pace rocking back and forth faster, moaning nonstop at her lover's cock assaulting her g-spot. The sound of flesh smacking against each other fills the room then Kyle sits up locking lips with Meia who secures her arms around his neck. Their tongues duel with one another and Meia arches her back when one of Kyle's hand slowly runs down her spine. He grabs the light blue-haired woman's butt allowing her to bounce on his lubricated shaft more smoothly Meia throws her head back moaning in lust yet at the same time loving her lover's cock pummeling her vagina. She rocks back and forth to make Kyle's cock go deeper once again. They continue thrusting against each other for an additional 20 minutes with Kyle alternating between slow thrusts and fast ones to prolong the pleasure but all good things must come to an end at some point.

Meia moves faster her pussy releasing fluids and her cheeks are flushed. Sweat drips from their bodies.

Kyle shut his eyes tightly, "I'm close, Meia. I can't..." He gets cut off by Meia kissing him passionately the Dread leader feels Kyle's member tense up. She digs her nails into his back although Kyle ignores it. The Aurelian's muscles tense up as well before both of them throw their heads crying out in pleasure.

He fires another stream of semen into Meia filling her to the brim and her pussy returns the favor, milking his member for all its worth. After the last eruption of cum, Kyle falls backward Meia resting on his chest trying to regain her breath, her soft breasts crushed against his bare chest.

'His sperm is so warm.' Meia thought as she kissed Kyle hotly.

Breaking the lip lock she gives Kyle a loving, radiant smile.

Kyle said, "That was hot."

Meia chuckled, "I'll say."

The Aurelian advised, "While I did like the choice of attire you had on this time, please don't let it become a habit."

Meia giggled, "I won't. It'll only be for special occasions."

Kyle ran a hand over Meia's side, "Thank you, Meia." He pulls the covers over them and Meia snuggles up to him, laying her head on Kyle's chest and the Aurelian enjoys the feeling of Meia's silky nylon stockings wrapped around his left leg. Kyle places an arm on Meia's back and rubs her smooth skin.

A/N: Chapter 11 done. This concludes the Liberating a Planet arc, hope you enjoyed it.

It turned out the Harvesters brought two Gleipnir class airborne fortresses with Antares being the source of virtually endless hostile forces. But in the end, the Nirvana crew, Tianlong, Gryphus, Razgriz Squadron and the Avenger's determination plus the arrival of allied reinforcements, albeit late proved to be the deciding factor.

Since Antares refused to go down by the combined assault of the Nirvana and its allies, Kasumi request Natsu to adjust the Mason Cannon to help shoot down the assault carrier.

Later they celebrated Chang's birthday and Catherine revealed that she had feelings for Mori.

Kyle and Meia went on a date and later shared a night of passion.

Another clue to Aurelia's fate was uncovered, this one involving an invasion by the Gray Men.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 12.

Vader 23A


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Inside the training room Chang was engaging his former teacher in a mock battle, right from the start Ken was in complete control of the fight.

Chang throws hard punches but Ken blocks them and counters with a kick to the chest that knocks Chang off his feet. The young Chinese man gets up and continues fighting blindly, Ken knows why Chang keeps challenging him. The Usean grabs Chang's outstretched arm and flips him over Ken's shoulder and onto the ground.

Ken said, "Abandon this pointless need to defeat me. We both know the reason you're constantly facing me in these mock battles is so you can forget the lingering guilt after your team mates sacrificed themselves to save you during your time with the special forces. I have more experience in hand to hand combat, weapon mastery and dog fighting than you, Mori, Katherine or Kyle combined. I've been a fighter pilot since I was 18 years old. No matter how hard you train, you'll never defeat me."

Chang retorted, "I won't stop until I best you, Ken. You are the sole reason behind my desire to perfect my skills." The 29-year old gasps when he saw Ken donning a very stern look on his face as if Ken was disapproving his former disciple's actions.

Ken said, "You don't get it, do you? My fighting style is self-taught, meaning no one gave me lessons save for weapon masters teaching me the basics of wielding knives or some other weapon. You are so obsessed with defeating me that you're blind to see the real reason of living."

Chang frowned, "What do you mean?"

The Usean explained, "Your squad mates, Mori and Catherine. Don't you see the love and respect they have for you? You're their pillar of morale. Did you see how devastated they were when you supposedly died? No, you didn't. Nor did you see how elated they were to see you alive. They probably don't plan on being fighter pilots forever, they'll want to explore other opportunities before their lives come to an end. They might even want to start a family. If you don't cherish the love and respect they have for you then you'll be left behind while they continue onward in life." Ken turned his back toward the young Chinese man, "You disappoint me, Chang. I didn't teach you to become some revenge fueled idiot." He then starts moving toward the exit.

Chang stares at Ken's retreating form with balled fists, he charges at Ken.

Ken whips around with blinding speed and nails him right in the gut effectively halting Chang's assault. Chang falls to his knees clenching his gut it felt like Ken swung a sledgehammer at full speed and drove it into the young man's gut.

Ken said, "If you continue down this path of revenge, you doom yourself to a life of loneliness."

Chang glared at him, "What do you know of me or the life I've had? I rarely got the chance to experience the joy of childhood. It was mostly about school, studying for tests, etcetera." The Usean stands there quietly he asked Chang one time what his childhood was like and Chang said he didn't want to talk about it. Ken didn't press him from that point on.

Ken's eyes narrowed, "You're right, I don't know about the life you've had prior to being part of the special forces and later a fighter pilot. However, I've had my share of challenges. The Second Usean War was something I wished never happened. To me, all that bloodshed was meaningless. Weeks after I shot down Yellow 4 I felt regret because she was possibly Yellow 13's lover. Now I realize she was his lover." He shook his head to rid himself of the horrible memories, "My point is cherish the bond you have with your squad mates. I know you want revenge on the higher-up that set you up but if you don't balance it out you have no reason to enjoy life." With his point proven Ken exits the room.

Elsewhere, Dita runs through the hallway toward Reg Central holding a platter of rice balls. How she managed to keep the food on the platter was a mystery.

The door to Reg Central slid open and Dita said, "I brought you some food, Mr. Alien." Opening her eyes, Dita spots Misty feeding a sandwich to Hibiki while playing cards with Gascogne and Alex.

The blue-haired girl asked, "How is it, Hibiki?"

Hibiki replied, "Good." Seeing Dita, Misty gives her a smug smile which caused a tick mark to form on the redhead's face alongside puffing her cheeks out. Stomping over to the table, Dita rips the sandwich out of Hibiki's mouth and slams the platter of rice balls onto the table, Hibiki grabs a rice ball and starts eating it.

Misty asked, "What was that for?"

Dita retorted, "Mr. Alien hates sandwiches, he prefers rice balls instead!" The two glare at each other and lightning sparks between them.

'Lover's quarrel, it's so funny.' Alex thought.

Gascogne pressed the button on the timer and said, "Your turn."

Hibiki donned his best poker face, "Right, I need to focus." Stealing a glance Alex notices the Vanguard pilot struggling to keep his anxiety in check.

Dita looked at the timer, "What's this for, Ms. Gasco?"

The Reg leader said, "Hibiki takes way too much time worrying about this and that so he gets 3 minutes per turn. Also it's not Gasco, it's Gascogne!"

Hibiki mumbled, "She's so picky about every little thing."

Gascogne smirked at him, "Time's almost up, kid."

Hibiki snapped, "I know!" He showed his hand, "Look at this, pair of jacks." He flashes her a cocky grin.

Gascogne showed hers, "Full house." Hibiki groans.

Dita and Misty blame one another for ruining Hibiki's concentration.

Alex showed his hand as well, "No good on my end. Well, that's enough for me."

Gascogne teased, "What? Afraid of getting beat by a woman?"

Alex chuckled, "No, I just know when to admit defeat in card games. You have a natural talent for cards, Gascogne. Have you considered taking part in poker tournaments?"

Gascogne cocked her head, "Poker tournaments? What are those?"

The Aurelian shook his head, "Forget I asked."

Hibiki declared, "This calls for one more round!"

Gascogne gave him a knowing look, "You don't know when to quit, do you?" Inside the infirmary, Barnette takes pictures of Jura holding Ezra's baby in various poses.

Jura asked, "How do I look now? Stunning?"

Her dark green-haired friend answered, "You look fantastic, Jura! No matter what angle I take pictures of you from, you look like the holy mother herself!" The audience look at the sight with different expressions on their faces.

Jura smiled, "I know. I'm so gorgeous it's impossible to believe!" She laughs wholeheartedly.

Pyoro jumped and down while saying, "You should be more careful when holding a baby! They are more fragile than you are." The two women look at the white robot.

Jura gave him an irritated look, "Why must you be so annoying? I was only having some fun." She gave him the infant, "There, happy now?"

Pyoro glared at the Dread pilot, "Can't you be unselfish once in a while?" She placed Sara in the crib, "There we go. Time to take a nap!"

Jura squealed, "She's so cute! I can't wait to have one myself!" Barnette stares at her with a face fault, Jura was hellbent of having a baby with a man.

Paiway said, "She doesn't speak at all."

Duero explained, "She's only a few days old so she can't see things clearly. It'll be a while before she can, in any case I find the baby to be interesting." Being a doctor, it was only natural for him to curious about something new.

Pyoro yelled, "She's not the baby! She's Pyoro 2!"

Ezra giggled, "Silly Pyoro, her name is Sara."

Parfet asked, "So it's Sara, huh?"

Ezra nodded, "Yep, Kyle wanted me to name her that in memory of her second sister."

Pyoro declared, "I'm calling her Pyoro 2, end of story!" He suddenly gets bonked on the head, driving his face into the floor moaning in pain.

Kyle said, "Ezra's baby is a human, not some damn robot. How many times do I have to say it?" The alarm on the Nirvana goes off as the ship's radar detects an enemy signature, the monitor pops up giving the bridge personnel confirmation of the enemy ship.

Magno stated, "That's a Harvest flagship alright."

BC theorized, "It is possible it's one of the ships that changed course following our encounter with the first."

Magno narrowed her gray eyes, "I guess we have no choice but to get them."

Inside Reg Central, Gascogne saw Hibiki pause the timer and asked, "What's up?"

The Vanguard pilot told her, "After we take care of the enemy, we're going to finish the game!"

Gascogne closed her eyes, smiling, "That must have quite the hand there." The Dreads, Vanguard, Tianlong and Gryphus Squadron and Mobius 1 takes off to deliver a restaurant quality ass whipping on the enemy. Hibiki combines his Vanguard with Jura's Dread to form Vandread Jura.

The formation was the regular with cube-types, Seed Ships and MiG-21s, 17s, 27 Fulcrums and F-14 Tomcats.

Misty gasped at the sight of the enemy formation, "We're going up against that?"

Magno assured her, "We've beaten once before, my dear. Experience has helped in building our confidence during battle."

Pyoro added his two cents, "We'll lure them close with Vandread Jura then wipe them out with the main cannon!"

Misty looked in confusion at first then smirked, "Sounds reckless but I like the sound of it. Everyone's really confident." The Seed Ships release cube-types.

Gryphus 1 arms the XLAAM.

The lock-on symbol turned red and he was about to shoot when Dita said all of a sudden, _"Guys, look over there!"_ The pilots watch in shock as the cube-types fuse together to form a red version of the Nirvana complete with red orb-shaped in the center.

Hibiki gasped, "What?"

Jura said, "You're kidding me!" The bridge crew looked at the scene with utter disbelief.

Gryphus 2 asked, _"Are you shitting me? First they were able to make copies of the Vandreads, now the Nirvana?"_

Inside the helm Bart yelled,_ "Don't worry! It's a known fact that a fake is always weaker than the original!"_

Magno said, "Calm down, Bart." Snapping of their state of shock, the Nirvana fighters engage the Harvesters.

Gryphus 1 barrel rolls through enemy gunfire and switches to the XLAAM, multiple locks appear turning red within seconds. He pulls the trigger and the missiles smoke the targets, Gryphus 1 automatically takes evasive action when 30mm bullets scream past the canopy. He turns his gaze toward his 4 o'clock and spots a group of MiG-21s approaching but Gryphus 1 refuses to give them any chances of hitting Fenrir. The military airplane executes a vertical climb, flips over and dives at them, machine guns blazing. The bullets tear through one of the MiG-21s like it was nothing and the enemy fighter explodes before Gryphus 1 turns his attention toward the enemy's comrades. The surviving MiG-21s split up like they were going to retreat but then come at him from below and above, readying a pair of heat-seeking missiles. Taken by surprise Gryphus 1 firewalls the throttle and pops flares to confuse the missiles' IR tracking system, whipping around he retaliates with XLAAM but the MiGs release chaff to jam the missiles' radar guidance system. Noticing the fighter jets executing the same maneuver, Gryphus 1 plans on using that maneuver against them. He baits them into coming close then lights up the afterburners, the MiG-21s end up crashing into each other.

Gryphus 2, Crux and Tianlong Squadron were experiencing the same thing, having to improvise tactics on their opponents.

Meanwhile, Vandread Jura charges at the red Nirvana.

Jura stated, "You guys are so annoying. Just you wait, I'll get every last one of you!" The red Nirvana charges up its main cannon and fires prompting everyone to evade, Hibiki groans from the sudden turn.

Meia gasped, "This pain."

Dita nodded, "It's just like before!" Barnette leads a group of Dreads against some cube-types, barrel rolling and firing their missiles. Vandread Jura uses the attack to close in, shooting down any cube-type that gets in its way via the discs and whip-like arms.

Magno commanded, "Bart, follow their lead."

Bart replied, _"Roger that! You gotta surround them, Hibiki!"_

The Vanguard pilot said, _"I know that!"_

Vandread Jura hovered above the red Nirvana and Jura said, "Commence holding!" The discs move to their designated positions and the red Nirvana and its allies soon finds themselves enveloped in the green shield.

Hibiki flicked his nose, "How do you like them apples?" The red Nirvana fires its cannon again that splits into multiple lasers taking all discs out and hits Vandread Jura, the pilots scream as the machine gets bombarded. Hibiki tells Jura they're toast if they don't separate then gasps at the sight of blood on his hand. It wasn't his, it was from an unconscious Jura. He grunts when the Vanguard gets hit again.

Barnette said in rage, "How dare you do that to Jura!" The dark green-haired woman shoots her Dread's lasers.

Mia ordered, _"All units, withdraw immediately! That includes you, Barnette. What the enemy's doing is beyond what we expected. The best option right now is to pull back and regroup."_

Barnette asked, "What about Jura?"

Gascogne's image took Mia's place, _"There is no way you can win when you're this hot-headed. This is a direct order."_ Barnette snarls at her when she feels the Reg delivery ship towing her Dread.

Barnette slammed her fists on the control panel, "Jura." Upon landing Jura is immediately rushed to the infirmary, Duero places her on the operation table and hooks her up to vital monitors, cleans the wound on the blonde-haired woman's forehead then places an oxygen mask over her mouth.

Duero informed, "She's bleeding pretty badly. She'll be able to pull through but I'm not sure about the wound on her abdomen." Barnette looks on with concern about her close friend, she feels a hand on her shoulder turning her head she spots Mia smiling reassuringly at her before pulling the slightly older woman into a comforting hug.

Mia said, "Jura will pull through, Barnette. I know she will."

Hibiki requested Duero, "Treat her so that she won't have any scars, okay?"

Duero said, "Mejale's medical prowess will ensure that, Hibiki. Now then, it's time to treat your injuries."

Hibiki held his injured arm, "There's really nothing to look at, I just got a few scratches."

Duero told him, "That's something I cannot ignore. I need to look into your personal date so I can better treat you." Hibiki rips off the ID card and tosses it to him, Duero catches it and inserts the card.

The teen slammed his fist against the wall, "Damn it, all of this happened because I underestimated them."

Dita said, "But that's not true, Mr. Alien."

Hibiki snapped at her, "I'm not in the mood for that so shut up about it!"

Gascogne stated, "You don't have to take it out on Dita." The occupants spotted the Reg leader leaning against the doorway, "What happened to your usual good humor?" Duero tries accessing Hibiki's personal information but is denied with each attempt.

The Reg leader sensed the feeling of the atmosphere, "Everyone's gloomy in here. There's no point in staying here why don't you go back to your posts?"

Barnette asked her, "Why? Why did you refuse the delivery? I wanted to keep fighting for Jura's sake!" Gascogne narrows her eyes at Barnette's proclamation.

As the Nirvana continued retreating, Bart asked Magno,_ "How far do we have to go?"_

Magno said, "Until we have the chance to fight back."

The bald man insisted, _"All I want is to know is where we're supposed to go!"_

Magno exclaimed, "I'm thinking about it! So shut up and stay on course! You're good at running away, aren't you?"

Bart sighed in resignation,_ "Understood."_

Back in the infirmary, Barnette slammed her hand on the table, "Answer me, Ms. Gasco!"

Gascogne informed, "You'd be dying a fool's death."

The dark green-haired Dread pilot said with fear, "But we can't win without fighting and if we don't win we're all gonna die anyway!"

Gascogne calmly stated, "At that point the mission was a failure. It's the job of those behind the scenes to remind people how the show goes."

Barnette narrowed her eyes, "I wanna know how you can be so cold."

The Reg leader shrugged off the question, "You tend to make mistakes if you let your emotions rule you."

Hibiki scoffed, "Heh, it's real easy to remain calm if you're watching from a safe distance. For someone who watches from the rear, the feelings of those on the front line can never be understood." The Reg leader fully turned to him as Hibiki went on, "You always stand there with a smirk on your face, making sarcastic remarks about our failures. There's no way someone like you could understand those desperate to stay alive! There's no way someone like you would understand someone's pain!" Gascogne glares at him and one could feel the tension in the air.

The Reg leader stated, "Hmph, this so pitiful. What's the point in making excuses? I'll be as sarcastic as I want if it means we stay alive." She walked up to Hibiki and bent over to eye level, "If it makes you happy then go take all the chances you want after your life in the realm of the living ends. But you can count me out of that, I'll clench my teeth and make sure I survive through it all!" Seeing no point in staying, Gascogne leaves the infirmary.

Duero said, "Hibiki, let me tend to your wounds."

Hibiki lamented, "Sure."

Misty looked at the doorway where Gascogne was at, "Do you think she'll be okay?"

Hibiki said, "Don't mind her. There's no way someone like her could ever understand somebody's pain." What happens next takes everyone by surprise.

Eugene pinned Hibiki to the wall, "You have some fucking nerve insulting her, punk. She knows more about pain and suffering than you give her credit for, I can see it in her eyes. It doesn't matter if you're part of some country's army or the air force. Your life can end before you even blink, one mishap and you are done."

Meia added, "Eugene's right. We all lose someone precious to us eventually. It's important to cherish the memories we have of them." The Harvest fleet continues chasing the Nirvana, cube-types fuse to create Fakedread Dita, Jura and Meia before accelerating toward their prey.

Belvedere alerted, "The enemy's intercepting our intended course!" Fakedread Dita flies the observation window.

Bart asked, _"What's this? It's like we are being attacked from all sides."_ Fakedread Dita fires its laser cannons at the Nirvana's star board side.

Magno grunted, "So the chase ends here." Gascogne steps into her living quarters and the door shuts behind her.

She grabs the metal stick out of her mouth and squeezes it, turning it into a key. Walking over to her nightstand where a music box stood, she inserts the makeshift key and unlocks the music box the interior was filled with some jewelry and a picture of her and someone else. A solemn expression forms on her face as she remembers the happy moments of her childhood.

She then heard the door panel beep and said, "Who is it?"

The voice answered,_ "It's me, Catherine. May I come in?"_

Gascogne nodded, "Sure." The door slides open allowing the young British woman inside.

Catherine surveys the interior of Gascogne's room, it was the typical living quarters one would find on a military ship with some decorations.

The pilot walked up and peeked over the taller woman's shoulder, "I'm taking a wild guess and say that metal stick in your hand was a gift?"

Gascogne replied, "Yes. My older sister Rena gave it to me when we were kids. One day she led me to an alleyway and said it would be our little secret, she took out the metal stick and squeezed. I watched in awe as it morphed into a key. Life was great at the time but as we grew up, our sibling relationship became strained especially when the two of us joined the military. Our relationship became more like that of soldier and commanding officer. One time she scolded me about my lack of initiative and anger and ordered that I needed to focus. Things got worse after that. The next day a riot broke out, something about some military project. Anyway, one of the rioters breached the outer hall of the space station we were assigned to and the wall gave way allowing the powerful vacuum effect to suck anything inside the hallway out. A little girl was about to be sucked out when my older sister grabbed her and gave her to me, sealing the room off afterward. I told her I would call for help but she told me not to bother. After that she stated I was right about Mejale being our home then she said she didn't mean being so tough on me all the time. She next told me that she'd leave the rest to me. It became quiet after that and I knew she was sucked out of the breached hull. That was the last time we saw each other. I pounded on the door to the point where my knuckled bled, I then cried for hours. It was at this point that Magno found me. It was only a few centimeters away. One moment became an eternal farewell. If I had been calm, if I had been more collected..." Catherine felt similarities between Gascogne's tale and her own personal tragedy.

After her parents died, she was devastated crying for hours. Chang approached her and asked her if she'd like to become a fighter pilot when she did Chang brought her to Ken for training.

Catherine said, "I'm sorry you had to go through such an ordeal. Your older sister wouldn't want you be sad, Gascogne. I'm certain she wanted you to move on to live the life you wanted even if it was being a space pirate. What's important is to cherish the memories of you. She is still with you, Gascogne. In your heart." The Reg leader looks her shoulder to see the British pilot smiling at her sympathetically.

Back at the infirmary, Meia finished, "She knows more about sorrow than any of us do, Hibiki. And while we make a big fuss about it right now, for her it was a path she walked down long ago."

Hibiki sighed through his nose, "Fine, I'll apologize. Can you let go of me now, Eugene? Please?"

Eugene released him, "Very well. Be more considerate about someone's feelings next time, okay?" Hibiki hears Meia's communicator beep.

She answered, "Meia here, what's up?"

BC informed, _"The enemy has surrounded us. There's no where to go."_

Meia said, "I have all the pilots here."

The dark skinned woman stated,_ "Good but attacking without a strategy is unwise. We need a plan."_

Hibiki interjected, "I got one. I figured something out while listening to your story." The pilots takes off and head to face the enemy.

Meia ordered, "Ignore the small fry, our real target is the mother ship." The red Nirvana fires the laser cannon but the Dread pilots dodge and Barnette retaliates with her Dread's wing lasers that smoke the cube-types in front of them.

Hibiki explained, "Somebody's staying, that is what gave me an idea. Getting inside and destroying it from the inside. That's the only way I believe will work."

Ken said, _"Pretty gutsy of you, kid. If you screw up, you pay for it with your life."_ Hibiki combines his Vanguard with Meia's dread to create Vandread Meia.

Meia asked, "I understand the plan but do you think we can punch through the armor with our firepower alone?"

Hibiki said, "If we're gonna worry about it, we'll do it later." Meia blinks in surprise before smiling.

Enveloped in the aqua green aura, Vandread Meia plows through 3 Seed Ships as the rest of the Nirvana fighters provide cover fire.

The red Nirvana meets Vandread Meia halfway toward the Harvest flagship and transforms into a giant robot. Next it fires the laser cannon in a huge concentrated shot at the Vandread which made the machine take evasive action, Hibiki grunts from the sudden maneuver.

Gryphus 1 combines with Mia to form Amaterasu.

The silver colored machine aims its twin-barrel plasma rifle at a swarm of MiG-29 Fulcrums vaporizing them in an instant. Amaterasu spins around to slice numerous cube-types with its sword, hearing the missile alert Amaterasu raises the shield to block the missiles. It spots more MiG-29s coming towards it from all sides, no doubt trying to hit it with kamikaze attacks, Amaterasu braces itself and the Fulcrums slam into it. The resulting smoke cloud dissipates to reveal an undamaged robot. However it immediately gets struck in the back by Fakedread Dita's laser cannons, the pink beams tear through Amaterasu's armor followed by Fakedread Meia executing a hit and run attack. Spinning around, Amaterasu glares at blue and red Fakedread who glares right back.

Fakedread Dita and Amaterasu charge up their main weapon and fire at the same time, yellow-white clashing with pink for dominance. The beams eventually explode but Amaterasu doesn't allow Fakedread Dita to mount another offense because it fires the twin-barrel plasma again, Fakedread Dita dodges to the left. Without looking Amaterasu slams its shield into Fakedread Meia, the impact staggers the evil counterpart of Vandread Meia. Shaking its head the red Fakedread seeks to launch a second ramming attack when it's suddenly by the head and Amaterasu drives its knee into Fakedread Meia's chest numerous times before ripping the red Harvest unit in half.

Gryphus 2 hears the missile warning and evades, the HUD showing the projectile chasing after his F-22. He pops flares to shake off the heat-seeking missile. Executing a hard left turn, Gryphus 2 brings the Raptor to gun range and shoots the MiG-31 Foxhound with the M61 Vulcan Gatling cannon. The 20mm bullets tear the Foxhound apart.

He said, "Come on, you punks. That the best you can do?" Crux unleashes an EMP burst that disables the cube-types targeting him and smokes them with the AMRAAM.

The E-3 Sentry II dives to avoid a laser beam shot from Fakedread Jura. Crux gasps when he spots the evil green Fakedread closing in, breaking left but the Fakedread's pincer-like claws rips a hole in the Sentry II's left wing.

He alerted, "Bridge, this is Crux. My plane's wing has suffered a tear in it. Returning to ship for repairs."

Amarone said, _"Roger that, Crux."_ However, the Harvesters refuse to allow him of doing so, cube-types open fire on the damaged E-3 prompting Crux to weave through gunfire.

Mobius 1 comes to his rescue, shooting the Tactical Laser on the remaining cube-types. Switching to missiles, he waits for the lock-on and downs them upon the missile locks turning red. He suddenly turns left to keep his Falken from being ripped apart by a radar guided missile from an F-15C Eagle. The enemy fighter aims its Vulcan Gatling cannon and fires even though Mobius 1 evades each round. Spotting another F-15C Eagle coming towards him from his 12 o'clock, Mobius 1 leads the chasing fighter and pulls up when the other F-15 Eagle was mere inches away from him. The two Eagles don't have enough time to escape and wind up crashing into each other.

Tianlong Squadron finds itself batting persistent cube-types and relies on team work to best them.

Barnette targets the red Nirvana, firing missiles at the monster's arm. The red Nirvana catches her Dread in its hand and starts squeezing, Barnette tries making it let go of her by shooting her wing lasers but they deal no damage. The enemy unit tightens its grip on the Dread the canopy window starts cracking and the red Nirvana turns its attention to who shot it. Barnette turns at the same direction to spot the Reg delivery ship joining the fray.

Gascogne grinned, "Was too much for someone who works behind the scenes?" Her ship gets attacked by Fakedread Jura followed by the red Nirvana driving its pointed hand into the ship as well.

Dita said, "No, Ms. Gasco!" The pilots watch in horror as Gascogne flies her delivery ship with the two attackers into the Harvest flagship, engulfing all of them in a fireball.

Barnette stared at the sight in horror, "Ms. Gasco. Ms. Gasco!" Gryphus 2 has an equally look of horror on his face, the woman he came to see as a big sister figure. The person he played cards with during his off-time sacrificed herself.

He said, _"This can't be happening. Please tell me this is some sick joke."_

A/N: Chapter 12 done.

Ken defeated Chang in their mock battle and warned him that if he continued down the road of vengeance, he'll doom himself to a life of loneliness while his squad mates move on.

Eugene scolded Hibiki on insulting Gascogne's understanding of pain and suffering.

Gascogne herself told Catherine her past and Catherine comforted with words of encouragement.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 13.

Vader 23A


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Getting Even

Disclaimer: I don't Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

The Nirvana crew stares at the fireball swallowing the Reg delivery ship.

Gryphus 2 shook his head, "This can't be true. It can't be!"

On the bridge BC ordered, "Ezra!"

Snapping out of her state of shock, the brown-haired woman nodded, "Right. Gascogne, please respond! Can you hear me, Ms. Gasco?" Back with the battle, the red Nirvana emerges from the smoke unharmed. The look of horror turns into seething rage as Gryphus 2 glares at the Harvest unit that took his big sister figure away from them.

His growled, "You pieces of shit! How dare you take Gascogne away from us!" Close by, Hibiki snaps as well defusing Vandread Meia.

Hibiki stated, "Don't fuck with me. I'll get every one of you!" He joins Gryphus 2 in seeking retribution against the Harvest units drawing his Vanguard. Together they start inflicting damage on the enemy. Barnette's Dread suddenly appears in front of them and blocks their path.

She ordered, _"Everyone, pull back!"_

Hibiki said, "Out of the way! The enemy must pay for what they've done!"

Barnette retorted,_ "There's no way we can win if we're impulsive!"_

Gryphus 2 said,_ "That isn't for you to say, Barnette."_ An image of Gascogne briefly flashes through their minds snapping Hibiki and Gryphus 2 out of their enraged state.

Inside the helm, Bart stares at the sight when he suddenly feels an electric shock on his left hand causing him to yelp as the Nirvana turns around and heads for someplace safe with the pilots close behind it. It then spits Bart out.

The helmsman blinked in confusion, "What just happened?"

Belvedere asked him, "Why did you come out?"

Bart replied, "Don't know. It changed course on its own! And I burnt my hand too." Ezra continues asking Gascogne to respond until Magno tells her to stop, accepting the fact that the Reg leader was dead.

The Nirvana finds safety in a nearby nebula shooting down any Harvest unit along the way before returning to the ship. The Harvesters cease their pursuit and wait for their prey to come out of the stellar cloud of gas and dust.

Gryphus Squadron lands first followed by Mobius 1, Tianlong Squadron, the Dreads and Vanguard.

Meia's face appeared on the monitor,_ "All units have safely docked, captain."_

Magno nodded, "Good work, Meia."

The Dread leader said, _"Please accept my apology for what happened to Gascogne."_

Magno told her, "That's enough for now."

Meia objected, _"But captain..."_

The pirate leader cut her off, "Let it go! Just remain on standby for now."

Meia relented,_ "Understood."_ Ending the transmission, she slammed her fist, "Damn it! I thought I had become strong enough to not be fazed by anything." She used every ounce of self-restraint not to cry. However, the task proved to be more difficult as she walks out of her Dread and slamming her fist again on the futuristic jet's nose. She then feels a hand on her shoulder causing Meia to look over her shoulder and see Kyle standing there with the best sympathetic smile he can muster.

The 20-year old notices tears brimming the corners of Meia's eyes and pulls her into a hug, the very little self-restraint she had broke and Meia wraps her arms around Kyle's back. In response Kyle rubs Meia's allowing her to mourn the Reg leader's death. Pulling back, Meia stares into Kyle's blue-gray while tears still fell down her face. To him, he never saw anything so fragile or vulnerable the way Meia felt she rarely displayed emotion in front of others except him when they were alone. Meia kisses him not caring about the salty taste her tears added to it, she needed comfort and Kyle was there for her.

Everyone on the ship feel the same way, all they could do right now is cry.

BC said, "It's just as I feared. What happened to Gascogne left a huge impact on the crew. Especially with the death of someone really close to them." Her tightened grip on the control console shows the pain of loss she was feeling.

Magno informed, "What she left behind is just as big. She left a gaping hole in their mothership and that means we still have a way out of this." Inside the dark infirmary, Barnette sits at Jura's bedside staring at the ground, her gloved fists clenched as she sobs.

Barnette said, "I missed the opportunity to apologize to Ms. Gasco. This shouldn't have happened. This sucks!" Jura wipes away her tears earning a gasp of surprise from the dark green-haired woman and looks down to see her close friend looking up at her with a smile.

Jura told her, "The Barnette I know is much stronger and cuter than that." She's able to make Barnette smile and in turn made her smile, "See? You look better already." Barnette takes the blonde's hand in hers. They had at times heated arguments but Barnette and Gascogne had unwavering respect for each other.

Alex wanders through the hallway reflecting on his friendship with the deceased Reg leader.

Gascogne was one the first women that treated him like a normal person alongside Dita, Mia, Magno and BC. If he wasn't hanging with Mia he'd often be seen playing cards with Gascogne even though he never won. He'd help the Reg leader sort through supplies, seeing what needed replenishment. At other times he helped the stagehands with difficult tasks. Over time, Alex saw Gascogne as the older sister he never had. If he had problems with weapon sorting Gascogne said he could come to her for help. Now that very same woman sacrificed herself to let them escape.

'I promise you, Gascogne we'll make the Harvesters pay for this.' Alex mentally vowed.

He soon finds himself in the dark, empty Reg central and spots Hibiki staring at the face-down cards on the desk.

Without looking, Hibiki said, "Hey, Alex."

The Aurelian replied, "How's it going?" They spot Dita holding a smiling mushroom hand puppet.

She said, "Smile. Smile." Lifting her head the red-haired girl chuckled nervously.

Hibiki asked, "What do you think you're doing?" Seeing her smiling sheepishly he demanded, "How can you be smiling at a time like this?!"

Dita admitted, "It's just that I don't know how to react. When I was little girl, when the living unit I lived in closed down everyone had sad looks on their faces. Whenever I did something wrong or said something funny everyone would laugh. That's why I don't like seeing people be sad." They hear the door slide up and Barnette enters the room.

She stayed quiet for a moment and then asked, "Why? Tell me why, Hibiki. Why didn't you save her?"

Hibiki said, "What was that? I didn't hear you."

Barnette retorted, "You should have done more."

Hibiki asked, "Are you saying this is my fault?"

Barnette glared at him, "You're always bragging about stuff. But when it comes down to it, you're completely useless!"

Alex defended his friend, "Don't blame Hibiki for something we didn't expect. Did anyone expect Gasconge to sacrifice her life to save ours? Hell no we didn't!"

Dita exclaimed, "That's enough! Both of you stop it!" She knocks over the timer Gascogne used in playing directing their attention toward it.

Gascogne said in Hibiki's mind, _"Hey, it's your turn. Show me your hand."_

Hibiki balled his fists, "Alright, I'll show you. Get everyone down here now time for a tactical meeting!" In the engine room Parfet watches the red light disappear from the Paksis.

BC entered the briefing room, "What's this meeting about?"

Hibiki told her, "I've figured out how to defeat the enemy mothership."

BC asked, "How?"

Misty held up a familiar capsule, "With this."

The silver-haired woman gasped, "That's the capsule from Pluto!"

Misty nodded, "Yep, it's the virus that eats up the Paksis. We can beat them with this."

Hibiki asked her, "Is it ready?"

The blue-haired teen pointed at Pyoro, "Yeah, all we need to do now is have him eat it!"

Pyoro's eyes widened, "I wasn't informed of this. I don't want to be separated from Pyoro 2!"

Ezra snatched her child from the white robot, "Her name is Sara, not Pyoro 2!"

Meia said to Hibiki, "In order to launch it, we have to get past the enemy's line of defense. How do you suggest we do it?"

Parfet joined in, "Leave that to me. I had a feeling something like this would happen so I came up with a plan of my own. We know the enemy's a machine and therefore very sensitive to electrical discharges. So I developed a weapon that'll release an electromagnetic pulse that will disable link between the mothership and fighters. However, it lasts only a few seconds. Barnette, your Dread will be carrying it."

Hibiki smirked, "Let's give it a shot, shall we? Are you with me?"

The Dread pilots shouted, "Yeah!" The fighters emerge from the nebula to meet the enemy.

Pyoro whined, "Pyoro 2!"

Hibiki growled, "Would you shut the hell up? It's really annoying!" Dita offers him to combine with her but Hibiki tells it's not the time right now, he combines the Vanguard with Meia's Dread to create Vandread Meia. They fly through the enemy formation while Barnette orders the Dreads to guard them.

Gryphus 2 enters combat with a group of MiG-31s jinking right to shake off a missile lock then comes around to fire a AIM-9X Sidewinder at one of the Foxhounds, impacting the MiG-31 right on the nose. The F-22 dives underneath the fireball and shoots down another Foxhound with the Vulcan Gatling cannon. It next barrel rolls to avoid getting hit by the third Foxhound's 30mm cannon before somersaulting. Gryphus 2 quickly arms a second Sidewinder. Tracking the Foxhound's IR signature the AIM-9X lets out a growl prompting Gryphus 2 to pull the trigger. The heat-seeker zeroes in and trashes the MiG-31. Spotting a formation of B-52 bombers appear out of the blackness of space, the Aurelian instantly discovers what the enemy's intention was. Switching to the XLAAM he automatically downs the bombers so they won't unleash their payload of anti-ship missiles.

Mobius 1 weaves through gunfire and unleashes the Tactical Laser on some cube-types, the beam's destructive power tears the Harvest units apart. He takes evasive action the moment he hears the missile alert go off, popping flares to get heat-seeking missiles off his tail. However, these missile were flare resistant and continue pursuing him. Not expecting this Mobius 1 improvises pulling a sudden left turn and fires the Falken's gun. It was able to to shoot the missiles down.

He chuckled, "So you junk piles have flare resistant missiles. Impressive but ultimately futile." Arming missiles of his own, Mobius 1 smokes the two MiG-31s. He isn't allowed a moment's rest because MiG-29s approach from his 5 o'clock high. He jinks right when they fire radar guided missiles, the maneuver's too much for the missile's guidance system and they fly erratically before exploding. He attempts to get behind the leading MiG-29 but its comrade prevents it from happening shooting at him with its 30mm cannon. A dangerous glint appears in his amber eyes.

Crux aids Tianlong Squadron with Seed Ships, bulling ramming through them and protecting Tianlong Squadron from surprise attacks. Out of the corner of his eye he spots Gryphus 1 cooperating with Mia to protect the infiltration force.

Turning hard left, Mia lines her Dread with a cube-type and uses her futuristic aircraft's lasers to destroy it. Switching to missiles, she downs a group of F-14 Tomcats then F-15C Eagles. Images of Gascogne flash through her mind, fueling her determination of making the Harvesters pay. Hearing the radar warning, Mia shakes off a missile lock and retaliates with missiles.

Gryphus 1's flying skills allow him to evade the enemy from downing his airplane.

As the infiltration team nears the gaping hole in the Harvest flagship created by Gascogne's kamikaze attack, Barnette's waits for the right moment to shoot the EMP cannon her thumb inches from the trigger. They are suddenly greeted by cube-types. The Harvest units get shot down by homing lasers from the Nirvana.

Hibiki grinned, "Was that Bart?"

Bart said, _"Let me handle the small fry, you concentrate on uploading that virus!"_

Misty asked him, _"But aren't they all small fry?"_

The helmsman replied,_ "It doesn't matter. Protecting the infiltration team is our top priority."_

'Not yet. Now!' Barnette mentally declared once she felt it was the right time to unleash the EMP.

She pulls the trigger and two spheres emerge from the cannon's twin barrels, they travel halfway and then detonate releasing the electromagnetic pulse on the cube-types in front of them.

They enter the gaping hole in the flagship and lasers light up the interior, Barnette uses her Dread's missiles to disable some of the guns but her pink Dread gets clipped in the process.

Meia gasped, "Barnette!"

Barnette told them, _"No need to worry, the damage is minor. Keeping moving, I'll catch up!"_ They eventually reach the heart of the flagship.

Meia observed the area before telling Hibiki, "Something's not right here, it's too quiet. Stay alert and don't screw this up."

Hibiki nodded, "Right. You hear that, Dita? It's your turn."

Dita said, _"Roger."_ Hibiki defuses Vandread Meia and combines with Dita to form Vandread Dita, at the same time Pyoro makes his way toward the place he can upload the virus from.

Outside the flagship the Nirvana and its fighters continue holding the Harvest units at bay.

Gryphus 1 unleashes his pure hatred of the Harvesters showing them no mercy for they deserve none.

Chasing after a bunch of MiG-21s he fires Fenrir's machine guns downing each other. Hearing the missile alert, Gryphus 1 looks straight ahead to spot a heat-seeking missile coming towards him so he fires his own Sidewinder. The missiles cancel each other out.

He said, "Come on, Harvesters! That the best you can do?" He turns Fenrir on its side to avoid a yellow laser, the beam lighting up Fenrir's underbelly. Turning his attention to the one who shot it, he spots an evil version of Amaterasu glaring at him.

It had a dark blue over black coloration, red eyes, dark gray horns protruded from the its forehead that curved backward at the top and mouth guard hiding the lower half of its demonic face. One thing he noticed was it had twin katanas, metal bat-like wings and twin back mounted grenade cannons. The dark blue over black monstrosity called Akem Manah forms an "X" pattern with its katanas.

'Ah, you guys came up with something new.' He thought.

Mia asked, _"Gryphus 1, you alright?"_

Gryphus 1 replied, "Yeah. Let's combine, this scrap heap wants to play." Amaterasu is formed and readies the twin-barrel plasma rifle firing it at full power, the yellow-white beams scream toward Akem Manah but the evil counterpart of Amaterasu stands its ground and to Gryphus 1 and Mia's utter shock, Akem Manah brings one of its katanas sideways to slice the beams in half all the way to the end.

Mia asked, "What the hell? He just sliced the beams like they were nothing."

Gryphus 1 smiled, "You got that right. That means the Harvesters more than likely created dark copies of Athena, Venus, Ma'at and Chang'e as well. But enough of that, we got a foe to beat." Akem Manah rushes toward them and raises its blades over its head for a downward strike but gets blocked by Amaterasu's blade then the silver colored machine aims to behead Akem Manah, the enemy unit ducks and retaliates with a hard punch to the face that staggers Amaterasu.

Shaking off the hit Amaterasu head butts the opponent and seizes the opportunity to drive its sword through Akem Manah's chest where its power source is. The machine pulls the weapon out without difficulty and jabs one of its katanas at Amaterasu's chest to return the favor. The silver robot grabs the hand, stopping the attack but it was a feint as the challenger aims the second blade for Amaterasu's back. Sensing this Amaterasu retreats before the blade can pierce its back then the enemy's right on top of it. Akem Manah swings the right blade across the chest leaving a nasty gash in the chest armor.

Amaterasu raises the shield to block a devastating cross strike that would have otherwise cleaved it in two. The moment it lowers the shield, Amaterasu gets hit by Akem Manah's grenade cannons, the force of the impact is so great that it sends Amaterasu back several feet before the pilots stop it

Gryphus 2 aids his comrades in a struggling battle against Jikininki, a dark version of Chang'e. It was clad in black armor, red eyes and had a black aura around it like some kind of mist.

Armed with a beam staff, plasma rifle and force field protecting its body, Jikininki was proving to be a tough nut to crack.

Switching to the XLAAM, Gryphus 2 said, "I got tone. Gryphus 2, Fox Three!" The missiles are launched and he waits for them to hit the target. To his frustration, the force field absorbs the impact preventing any damage to Jikininki.

Crux grunted,_ "This thing must have a weak point somewhere!"_ Seeing the enemy pointing its plasma rifle at them, the fighters take evasive action.

Back with the infiltration team, Vandread Dita continues to act as a shield while Pyoro installs the virus. The red Nirvana comes in and takes aim at the shiny blue Vandread, charging its chest beam but Meia gets its attention by shooting at it. The red Nirvana fires its chest beam at her but Meia weaves through them.

Hibiki asked, "Pyoro, are you done yet?"

Pyoro replied,_ "Almost there. Hold out a bit longer!"_

Meia alerted, _"Enemy closing from 11 o'clock high!"_ Vandread Dita catches Fakedread Meia, spins it around and obliterates it with the back-mounted laser cannons after tossing it.

A cube-type attempts to shoot Meia down at point-black range but gets trashed by an emerald green beam, a familiar red Dread comes into their field of view.

Barnette gasped, _"Jura!"_

The blonde-haired pilot urged, "Don't just stand there, hurry up and and finish the job!"

Duero advised her, _"Don't push yourself, your painkillers will wear off soon."_

Jura chuckled, "I'm well aware of that. That's why I'm telling them to hurry up." Meia advises Hibiki to aim for the vein-like branch the red Nirvana is using to stand on, Vandread Dita charges up the laser cannons and fires at the structure, destroying it. The red Nirvana falls.

Hibiki said, "Pyoro, hurry up!"

Pyoro cried, _"So annoying. Launch the virus!"_ The capsule releases the virus and filters it through the link to the Harvest units facing the Nirvana fighters outside the flagship.

Mobius 1 ordered, _"Your plan worked, Hibiki. Now get your asses out of there before the enemy retaliates!"_ He's proven right when the red Nirvana rises from its fallen state and fires its chest beam prompting Vandread Dita to push Barnette's Dread away before the lasers make contact.

Returning her gaze, Barnette gasps at the sight of the severely damaged Dreads and Vandread Dita, its pilots badly hurt.

Meia grunted through the pain, "Barnette, it's safe here. Get out immediately."

Jura said, "That noisy Pyoro is getting in the way."

Barnette shook her head, tears filling her purple eyes, _"I can't. I don't want to leave anyone behind!"_

Dita assured, "It'll be alright because we won't lose. I...don't want to see anyone with sad faces again."

Hibiki saw the enemy charging its chest beam again and barked, "Get out!"

Barnette yelled, _"I can't!"_ A fireball envelops them making everyone believe the infiltration team was killed. A crying Barnette looks away from the sight, however a bright light tells her to look through the fireball and gasps in awe as she watches the damaged units combine to form another Vandread.

This new unit, named Super Vandread was humanoid in shape, had the physical appearance of both Vandread Meia and Dita and equipment of Vandread Jura. Its armor was shiny silver mixed with blue and its fingers and visible joints were a glowing aqua-green.

Everyone was stunned by the sight!

Inside Super Vandread, Hibiki, Dita, Jura and Meia see the internal transformation.

Dita sat in Hibiki's lap, Meia sat in a seat behind them while Jura sat in front below them facing the controls.

Hibiki said, "I can feel the power surging through this guy!"

Dita squealed, "Amazing, amazing, amazing!"

Meia said, "This is beyond any reason."

Jura looked at the controls, "What is this? I'm supposed to fly this by myself?" The red Nirvana stares down at them with glowing eyes.

Hibiki told her, "Don't just stand there, do something!"

Jura protested, "In case you have forgotten, I'm wounded!" She slams her hands on the control panel and Super Vandread's eyes flash, creating a shield that deflected the red Nirvana's chest beam. It pulls a sword out of its hand and accelerates toward the Nirvana doppelganger raising the sword. With one mighty swing, Super Vandread slices the red Nirvana in half then the hostile explodes.

The Nirvana crew look with amazement after witnessing Super Vandread eliminate the red Nirvana with one swing of its sword.

Magno chuckled, "Amazing little children." Amaterasu was struggling to keep up with Akem Manah's unorthodox fighting style. It'd come at Amaterasu with one blade high and one blade low, utilizing a reverse hand grip in one or both blades, attacking Amaterasu with devastating cross strikes or feint attacks to make the opponent think they had the upper hand.

Akem Manah ducks a sword swing that was meant for its head and uses the cross strike to cut off Amaterasu's arms then shoots the grenade cannons blowing chunks of silver armor off. The pilots are able to right Amaterasu but their machine was badly damaged.

The twin-barrel plasma was blown to smithereens, the shield was virtually reduced to nothing and holes lined Amaterasu's chest, legs, shoulders and now had its arms cut off.

Mia feels Gryphus 1's hands shake but it wasn't out of anger, it was fear. Hidden underneath the demonic helmet the Aurelian had fear etched on his face, he never expected to face an enemy this aggressive. Akem Manah seemed to have a counter for every attack Amaterasu dished out. Lifting his gloved hands, Gryphus 1 sees them shaking.

'What is this feeling? Is it fear of being killed by the enemy? No, I can't lose here. Not when revenge is within my grasp!' He thought to himself.

Before Akem Manah can finish the job, it gets struck in the face with a missile though it barely felt it. Turning its head to 9 o'clock it spots the Falken approaching, freeing its blades from Amaterasu's neck it readies them to slice the Falken to ribbons. Mobius 1 swings around for another run and pulls away from a slash intent on removing the left wing. Executing a vector roll, he lights up the afterburners increasing the Falken's speed then rams into the abomination. The force of the impact sends Akem Manah flying backwards.

Mobius 1 said to it, "Attacking my friend was a big mistake. Now you answer to me." An intense light obscures Gryphus 1's vision briefly then vanishes.

Taking Falken's place was a humanoid robot in charcoal gray armor halfway concealed by a black cloak, glowing purple eyes hidden by the hood and was armed with a sickle that was currently strapped to its back.

Though taken by surprise, Akem Manah shrugs the newcomer off and executes the cross strike but is parried by the sickle. Faster than the eye could perceive, Shadow appears behind Akem Manah and rips the grenade cannons out of its back. Akem Manah raises both katanas to thwart an overhead chop but Shadow applies more strength and the sickle comes dangerously close to the monstrosity's head. Shadow pulls the weapon back and swings the sickle with one hand, removing Akem Manah's right arm. The Harvest unit backs away while Shadow's eyes glow. Bringing the sickle near its left arm, energy starts collecting on the blade making it give off an ethereal blue aura.

Behind his helmet, Mobius 1's eyes turn blood red and pupils dilate becoming tiny dots in the red irises. A purple aura materializes and Gryphus 1 felt unimaginable power erupt from Shadow.

The glow on the sickle blade reaches its peak and Shadow swings the weapon in multiple directions, sending waves of destructive energy at Akem Manah. The waves cut the monstrosity to pieces before the waves reverse direction and collide with each other generating a shock wave that radiates in all directions. Amaterasu's able to withstand it before Shadow turns its gaze toward it, Mobius 1's eyes return to normal.

He asked, _"You two okay?"_

Mia nodded, "Yeah thanks to you." Gryphus 1 was speechless at what he saw.

They were having trouble with Akem Manah but his mentor dealt with Akem Manah like it was nothing. Nevertheless he was grateful Mobius 1 saved them from certain death.

'I guess that showed why he's the greatest fighter pilot ever.' Gryphus 1 thought.

Chang circles Jikininki looking for any weaknesses then he sees it, squinting his eyes he spots a green light on the machine's back. Another thing he discovers is that the force field had to deactivate for Jikininki to use the plasma rifle. That gives him an idea.

He said, "Gryphus Squadron, I want you to attack Jikininki."

Crux frowned, _"What for? No matter what we do, it deflects our attacks."_

The young Chinese man said, "I discovered a way to destroy it. It appears the force field needs to briefly go offline for Jikininki to fire the plasma rifle. If you can make it use the plasma rifle, I'll be able to disable the force field permanently."

Gryphus 2 figured it out and smirked, _"Works for me."_ Jikininki spots Crux coming at him and fires the AMRAAM, the force field absorbs the impact but then Crux pulls away and Gryphus 2 launches missiles at the target and the force field absorbs the hit again. Getting annoyed by them, Jikininki lowers the protective shield and aims the plasma rifle. This is what Chang waited for.

He arms the AMRAAM and approaches the enemy's 6 o'clock and upon seeing the lock-on turn red, he fires. The AMAAM travels at over Mach 3 and scores home on the generator supplying power to the force field.

Chang said, "Alright, guys the force field generator's no more. Unleash hell on him." Gryphus Squadron initiates the attack.

Gryphus 2 fires the F-22 Raptor's Gatling cannon but Jikininki dodges, Crux shoots a pair of AMRAAM blowing off the enemy's weapon arm then right leg. Catherine and Mori fire their respective J-20's autocannon nailing hits on Jikininki's body. The five airplanes ready another round of missiles and shoot at the same time. Jikininki didn't have enough time to react as the missiles hit it simultaneously, ending the machine's life.

Crux sighed, _"Thank god that's over. This has been one eventful day. First, the Harvesters created their version of the Nirvana, Gascogne sacrificed herself to give us a change to retaliate, the Dreads and Vanguard fuse to create this Super Vandread and we faced a demonic version of Chang'e."_ The Nirvana fighters return to the ship.

Meia and Jura stand on the skywalk in the engine room staring at the Paksis.

Meia said, "Back there, it wasn't the Paksis coming to our aid in the fight against evil."

Jura told her, "But it was the Paksis who made the Dreads and Vanguard fuse together."

The Dread leader elaborated, "It's because we all had the same thought, we were optimistic and wanted to see it through to the end. That's why it happened."

Jura gazed at the Paksis in awe, "Incredible! Who knows what else the Paksis can do, it keeps surprising us every day." Later that day, the crew asks Magno to hold a funeral for their fallen comrade.

BC said, "Captain, the crew is asking for a funeral service for Gascogne."

Magno sighed, "Very well, BC. I leave the details to you. Call me when things are ready for the service." She presses the button on her chair to leave the bridge via conveyor belt.

BC nodded, "Yes, captain."

Once the door closed, Misty said, "I feel sorry for the captain."

Ezra told the blue-haired teen, "It's no surprise. You see, Gascogne's been the captain's partner ever since she became a pirate."

Amarone added, "While she was a big and loyal sister to us, she was more of a daughter to the captain."

Misty said, "I see." In her quarters, Magno places a framed picture of Gascogne alongside other members of her crew that perished inside an armorie she uses as a memorial shrine. She lowers her head to silently mourn the Reg leader.

She heard the door panel beep, "Come in." The door slides open to show Barnette holding the timer used in the numerous card games Gascogne had with Hibiki and Alex.

At Reg Central, Hibiki flips over the cards of his next hand they were composed of 4 Aces and a Joker.

He mumbled, "Pretty good hand, huh?" The Vanguard pilot clenches his fist knowing he never finished the game before Earth attacked them.

'Go, my friend. Your death has been avenged.' Alex thought as he watched Hibiki for a bit then left.

Barnette decides to take over as leader of Reg.

Her new attire consisted of a white vest, yellow top that exposed her stomach, black shorts and ankle-high boots.

She removed her crown jewel and contacted the bridge, "Captain, I'll be rewriting the security system so expect it to be down for a while."

On the bridge, BC responded with surprise, "Roger that."

Magno smiled, "It may have been too soon for Gascogne to go but to have someone follow in her footsteps, she must lived a long, happy life." Inside the cafeteria, Kyle chats with his teacher.

He asked, "What was that aura I felt? I never felt such power."

Ken scratched his cheek in a cheeky matter, "It's called Phantom Mode. I was born with it, not through biological augmentation. However, it didn't manifest until one training session. To be honest with you, this is the first time I've used it in a long time. The only other time I've used it was during my battle with Yellow Squadron at the end of the invasion of Farbanti."

Kyle smiled, "In any case, it saved my life."

Ken said, "I'm getting too old for this shit."

Kyle chuckled, "What are you talking about? You're only 37, still in your physical prime. Enjoy it because we all get to be young once." Elsewhere, in his office, Diego Navarro receives word about the battle of Gaia followed by the defeat of the red Nirvana.

He slammed his fist on the desk, "Damn it! Aurelian dog! That means only one Gleipnir class airborne fortress is left! How can they be beaten so easily by Nemesis?"

'The Southern Cross didn't achieve victory on his own. He had help.' Navarro's assistance thought.

The intelligence officer said, "There's more, sir. Francesca was killed in her fight with Nemesis."

Navarro scoffed, "Her obsession with him was Francesca's undoing. She got too cocky for her good and paid the price."

The intelligence officer asked, "So what do you want to do now?"

Navarro said, "I've endured his games long enough it is time to end this. I'll lead the next encounter with Nemesis myself. He humiliated me during the Aurelian War and now he wants to do it again. Before that, I need to strike at he holds dear." He saw the officer drop a file on his desk and he opened it, "Who is this?"

The intelligence officer said, "Her name's Meia Gisborn, leader of the Dreads. She is part of the Mejale space pirates. It appears Francesca acquired data on that woman during her first encounter with them. How she did it is beyond me."

A dark smile formed on Navarro's face, "We can use this to our advantage. Attacking someone precious to your enemy is the catalyst to their demise."

His subordinate urged, "Sir, I advise you to rethink this. Meia keeps Nemesis' bloodlust mostly in check. You take that away and you practically opened the gates of hell. The losses Earth's sustaining is growing by the day. Nemesis won't stop until he kills you along with the planet. Please don't this, sir!" Any further protest is cut short when Navarro blows his brains out with the Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol.

The man said, "I don't tolerate sentimentality that leads to weakness. Let us hope the next person who replaces you knows it." A pair of guards come to get rid of the body.

Navarro stood up, "Cassie, prepare the final Gleipnir class airborne fortress for takeoff."

"Yes, sir." The now named woman acknowledged as Navarro left the office.

A/N: Chapter 13 done.

The Nirvana crew avenged Gascogne's death even though the Harvesters put up their best resistance.

Super Vandread with the red Nirvana.

The Harvesters revealed that they could make copies of the units Gryphus 1 makes with Meia, Mia, Barnette, Jura and Barnette. He came close to being killed by one if Mobius 1 hadn't intervened.

Mobius 1 showed that his fighter jet has a robot form named Shadow and had a berserker mode of his own called Phantom Mode. Unlike Kyle's Onryo Mode, Mobius 1 was born with it and has greater control over it thus allowing him to use it with more grace.

Barnette took over as leader of Reg.

It seems Diego Navarro's had enough and is taking matters into his own hands. If only he knew that he's playing with fire.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 14.

Vader 23A


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Confession

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

A new day comes and Chang, like everyone else, takes advantage of the little R&amp;R it brought. Laying on his side in the bed, Chang felt alone with no one to share it with. But as usual, he kept it hidden. The young man was envious of Kyle and the rest of Gryphus Squadron and even his own squad mates, they all had someone to love while he didn't. He wasn't sure about Ken since he never mentioned if he had a girlfriend.

His sleep is ruined when the alarm sounds.

Sitting up groggily, Chang asked, "Come on, really? Why does the enemy love interrupting our relaxation?" His suspicions are proven wrong when Belvedere said the piping in the brig had burst open, flooding the men's quarters with water as Paiway rows her way through it in a raft taking pictures along the way.

Hibiki said, "Little brat." He loses his balance and falls into the water.

Bart used a spare pole to retrieve an important bed item, "Not my pillow! How am I gonna sleep now?" He too suffers the same fate when he lost his balance and falls into the water.

Paiway snapped a picture and grinned, "Look, it's a fishy!" She then spots Duero sitting on a desk in his room while reading a book along with additional ones.

He stated, "Well, it's not wise for humans to chill the lower half of their bodies." A column of water splashes onto him Paiway laughs until she gets soaked as well.

A bit later, BC surveyed the brig in ankle-high water, "We're not gonna be using this anytime soon." Misty arrives at the infirmary the three are in, Bart and Hibiki are covered in towels shivering while Duero looks fine. Misty offers Hibiki a blanket and even share her room until repairs to the piping are complete. Hibiki refuses the offer and stomps away bellowing about not wanting people to pity him

Duero said, "More like a spoiled brat if you ask me." Parfet comes in offering Duero the same thing Misty did with Hibiki but Duero kindly turns it down, saying that he's completely comfortable here. A mannequin of the human body falls onto his shoulder creeping the lead engineer out. Bart looks between the two and grunts with jealousy.

Hibiki reached the hanger with his bag in hand and stared at his Vanguard, "I didn't really choose to come here but don't have much choice, at least not until the men's quarters is fixed. Partner, you've changed quite a bit haven't you?" He suddenly sniffed the air, "Hey, what smells good?"

Misty popped her head out of the corner, "Hello there, my gut told me you'd be here." She present a hot bowl of soup, "Here you go, try it." Hibiki's growling stomach left no room for argument so he sits down and devours the soup, warmth fills his stomach as he chugs down the broth and wipes his mouth.

He asked, "What are you looking at?"

Misty smiled, "Nothing much except on how cute you are."

Hibiki replied, "What in the world are you talking about? You can't go around telling guys they're cute."

The blue-haired teen said, "Don't be silly, you are cute!" Dita stands against the wall outside the hall holding a bowl of porridge, a sad frown appears on her face realizing she came too late. She ran to consult with Jura in the cafeteria.

The Dread pilot stated, "So you just ran off without saying anything?"

Dita said, "Well, I..."

Jura sighed, "Jeez, how pathetic!"

Paiway asked the redhead, "What were you expecting?"

Dita's cheeks turned pink as she admitted, "Well, I wanted to give come porridge to Mr. Alien but Misty got there before me." Jura face palms while shaking her head.

Back in the hanger, Hibiki chows down on another bowl of food.

He stated, "This is delicious! What is it?"

Misty replied, "It's called paella. There are many flavors of paella from what I've heard. It's a time-consuming process but the effort pays off in the end." Jura along with some other crew members watch the event through a security camera at one point heard Misty mentioned boyfriend making them wonder what that was. Dita on the other hand doesn't watch. It soon grows to the point where she left the cafeteria.

Eugene accompanies Bart through the hallway but kept his distance from the sick man.

The bald helmsman said, "What a drag. Hibiki, I can understand that but now even Duero is kissing up to the women!" Eugene feels sorry for the guy.

The Aurelian chuckled, "It's called...um, how should I put this? Oh yeah, keeping each other company." Throughout the entire day, Misty shows her experience of gender coexistence something that's totally new to the crew save for Gryphus, Tianlong Squadron and Ken who originated from a time line where the two genders lived under the same roof. They hope Tarak and Mejale stop this idiotic gender war and live together like they did over 800 years ago.

Dita paces in the hallway before steeling herself to speak with Mr. Alien. However, that's cut short when she spots Misty coming around the corner with Hibiki. A smug look appears on the red-eyed teen's face, saying that she and Hibiki are gonna spend some quality time in her room. They walk past her.

The redhead said, "Hold on, Mr. Alien!" Turning around she presented an alien toy, "Here, it's for you." Irritated Misty smacks the toy out of her hands, the head shatters on contact with the floor. Hibiki was conflicted on what he should do. The girls end up playing tug-a-war with the poor guy.

He grunted, "Stop it now!" He freed himself and crashed to the ground before getting back up, "Let's get something straight, I'm not a toy!" Misty blames Dita for the whole thing.

Dita retreats to her room then sinks to the floor, looking at the broken alien toy. Tears fall down her cheeks making the redhead ask herself why so many came.

Chang sits in the cockpit of his J-20, thinking about his relationship with his squad mates: Mori Akaboshi and Catherine.

The two have remained loyal to him since day one. Never once had they thought of betraying him yet felt confused on how he should deal with the feelings he had for them. The young Chinese man remembers what Ken said.

The Usean said in his head,_ "If you don't cherish the love and respect they have for you then you'll be left behind while they move onward in life."_

Chang retorted, "Easy for you to say, Ken. My childhood was nothing short of emotional torture." He's so lost in thought he fails to hear footsteps echoing on the hanger floor.

A voice called out, "Hey Chang, you here?" The pilot sticks his head out of the cockpit to see his squad mates below the J-20.

Chang responded, "What's up, girls?"

Mori said, "We were looking for ya but you disappeared."

Chang slid down the ladder, "Just needed some time alone. You know, ease my mind." Both of his wingmen can tell something was bothering Chang.

Mori suggested, "Can you tell us what's troubling you, Chang?"

Chang replied, "Nothing."

Catherine crossed her arms, "Uh-huh, sure. They say one's eyes are the window to their soul. Right now, your eyes are telling me something's bothering you, something deep." Chang tensed up knowing the young British woman caught on.

Mori begged, "Please tell us, Chang. We can't help you if you do not tell us." The expression on Chang's face changes as the conflict inside him raged, his dark brown eyes trembling. It took him years to forget the hell he went through during his younger days. Now they were coming back.

Catherine walks up to him laying both hands on his shoulders.

She told her friend, "Get it off your chest, lad. You'll feel better afterwards." The emotional barriers he built start cracking.

Chang shook his head, "No, you wouldn't understand." What he didn't know is that Catherine could relate to him, after all she went down the same road following her parents' death. The young British woman initially hid her emotions but the pain was too much. Chang helped her overcome her loss, now it was her turn to help Chang along with Mori.

Catherine stated, "Please, Chang. We're doing this as your friend."

Clenching his fists their flight lead snorted, "Fine. Get yourselves comfortable, this will take a while." All three members of Tianlong Squadron sit on the hanger floor. Seeing his audience there ready for his story, Chang takes a deep breath then directs his eyes toward them bracing himself for something he never told anyone.

Flashback

_Chang was born on April 30, 1993 to Kim and Ayami Xiao Long. Born originally in Beijing, China his parents moved to Japan due to the smog that was ever present in the air over the Chinese capital._

_Kim and Ayami were scientists that worked on developing alternative energy sources that would one day get rid of the smog over Beijing._

_Kim stood around 6'2" tall, short black hair, dark eyes and fair skin tone._

_Ayami stood around 5'7, shoulder-length black hair dyed red, high B cup breasts, dark brown eyes and fair skin tone as well._

_They tried balancing work with raising Chang but over time work became more important._

_3 years later, Kim and Ayami had another child, this time a girl named Yume Xiao Long who had mostly her mother's physical traits than Kim. Chang loved his sister like any sibling would, at least initially. Over time he discovered his parents focused more on Yume than him, both children had immense potential but Chang hid the sadness over the favoritism. At age 6, Chang was diagnosed with Epilepsy otherwise known as seizure disorder along with Asperger Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. His parents were surprised at this because nobody in their family tree had them._

_The symptoms Chang had were speech difficulty, problems making friends, anger issues that he sometimes couldn't control, social interaction and balance difficulty. One thing neither the doctor or his family understood that his ASD made him look younger than he actually was._

_Speech therapy helped with Chang's speech quality allowing him to speak better until he could talk like a normal person. In addition, he was given medication to control his seizure disorder. The medicine was really powerful so the doctor advised him to take only one a day, preferably with breakfast._

_Kim and Ayami were strict when it came to education, they sent Chang to a prestigious academy that had a K-12 program and special courses for students with autism._

_However, Chang's school life wasn't without problems specifically getting picked on due to his condition. It grew to the point where it became physical with Chang sending bullies to the infirmary and develop a reputation of beating up students who mocked others because they were different. Safe to say, Chang's parents weren't happy at Chang even after he told them he was made fun of and tried to ignore it but it became too much to bear and got involved in fights. Despite numerous warnings he got from the academy, Kim and Ayami didn't look for other schools to transfer Chang to. _

_So for the next 13 years, he struggled avoiding fights but it stuck with him. He sat alone during lunch and didn't interact with other students, mostly studied for tests and little else sometimes to the point where it made him sick. Hell, the emotional stress would trigger his seizures causing him to collapse and become unconscious along with twitching. One day, during class, Chang experienced a really bad seizure that sent him to the hospital. The social isolation hurt Chang emotionally but hid it from others. Sometimes he cried in his room wondering if anyone loved him at all. At dinner, he ate without engaging in talking about the day's events. When he was done Chang rinsed his plate and either read books, watched a DVD in his room, anything to rid himself of the constant frustration._

_He even began resenting his parents for favoring Yume over him. At family gatherings he shot them heated glares but whenever Ayami looked at him he waved with a smile although the smile was forced to hide the pain of neglect they unknowingly inflicted. Despite the shit Chang went through he did have one source of light. During one visit to the Akaboshi family which revealed to be friends with Chang's, he met Mori._

_There was something about the girl that he didn't understand. She didn't ridiculed him or made fun of his condition. She offered him to play with her to his own surprise he agreed. This made him smile, something he never done since Yume came into the picture._

_On Tuesday, August 5 Mori asked him, "Hey Chang, wanna come to my birthday party?" Seeing his look of hidden surprise, she smiled, "Come on, it'll be fun!" Giving him a smile that was filled with kindness, Chang found himself accepting Mori's offer. He enjoyed the party and met some kids that shared some of his problems. These factors served as anger management for him._

_After graduating at the age of 18, Chang got involved with a heated argument with his father over Chang's desire to join the special forces stating that it'd give him a purpose, something they never did._

_Kim said, "Please son, don't do this."_

_Chang glared at him, "Why shouldn't I? I'm old enough to live on my own, dad! Besides where have you and mom been doing for the past 13 years? Oh, I know, work and dotting Yume while I had to endure being picked on because of my disorder. You know how hard it was climbing the ladder to graduation? You two weren't there when I came home covered in bruises. Only Mori, her parents and my grandparents showed compassion."_

_Kim started, "Son, I can..."_

_Chang cut him off, "Shut up! I've had enough of your neglect, I am not a child anymore. I'm free to forge my own destiny, not you. Nothing can persuade me to change my mind. Stay out of my way!" With that, he walked the door not caring for the pleas of his mother to come back._

_The young man signed up for the special forces in eastern Japan. He next changed his last name to Shengli._

_Chang's training proceeded smoothly gaining a lean, ripped figure. Other special forces members had slightly different builds._

_Over the next 3 years, Chang proved himself being a hard worker eventually given a unit of his own. His unit did intelligence gathering, thwarting terrorist attacks, etc. One mission he remembered was helping the SAT Tokyo unit in a brutal gunfight with insurgents that were targeting the Prime Minister who's doing a speech._

_Chang's unit was on lookout duty with him and another member of his unit stationed in one of the top floors of a skyscraper while the other half was on the ground providing information with Tanaka being the radioman._

_Chang contacted, "Ground team, anything out of the ordinary?"_

_Tanaka comrade replied, "Nothing yet. If this speech doesn't wrap up soon, I'll pass out from boredom." The watchman stares through the binoculars until he picks up a black car making the turn._

_He alerted, "I got an unidentified vehicle turning onto the road. Standby." Gazing through the scope of his sniper rifle, Chang saw the passengers loading their weapons of choice, "These guys are targeting the Prime Ministry, get him out of there now."_

_His friend answered, "Understood." Making his way through the crowd, he reached the Prime Minister, "Sir, we need to leave." The man asked why and gunfire echoes through the sky creating panic._

_While guiding the Prime Ministry, Tanaka ordered, "All units, engage." With permission granted, Chang takes aim at the nearest target and fires the bullet screams through the air before it penetrated the target's skull, pieces of bone and brains explode in all directions. The enemy falls to the ground bleeding profusely from the gun shot in his forehead._

_Pulling the pump handle to eject the empty shell, Chang sets his sights on the next target and was just about to shoot when his partner grabbed him and bolted toward an air conditioning unit._

_Chang told him, "What are you doing?" His comrade Chris, a 20-year old transferred soldier from America points to where Chang was at, the young Chinese man follows his index finger and sees a hole in the floor. Poking his head out, Chang spots an enemy sniper on the roof of the building in front of them as indicted by the flash of light when the scope reflected the Sun's light. Hiding behind the air conditioning unit, Chang thinks of a plan he knows the sniper's waiting for him to appear._

_Chris said, "Here's the plan. I'm going to draw the man's attention and when he's distracted I want you to take the shot."_

_Chang asked ludicrously, "You're going to use yourself as bait? Are you insane?"_

_His comrade fired back, "It will work. Besides I'm certain this guy only has a couple of years worth of experience." Chris steps out behind the air conditioning unit and gets the sniper's attention, dodging shots one struck mere inches from his feet_

_Chang uses the opportunity to aim his sniper rifle at the attacker, the bullet screams out of the barrel and pierces the skull, bone and brains fly everywhere then the body falls to the ground._

_The gunfight becomes more intense the further they went and turned left when they spot a tank coming towards them, tires screech from the sudden turn but the Humvees avoid the tank's shot. Their situation gets worse when they spot a fully armed Apache attack helicopter chasing after them. It arms the rocket launchers and Chang's unit had to zigzag if they wanted to stay in one piece. Thankfully the rockets weren't guided but Chang knew a single hit could annihilate them. Mounting the gun turret, Chang opens fire on the helicopter the aerial unit breaks left. He then hears the distinct sound of the M-230 chain gun winding up. The jeep turns down an alleyway that was just wide enough for the jeeps to pass through but the helicopter keeps up with them overhead shooting the M-230 the bullets were getting too close to the Humvee's tires._

_Chang asked the driver, "When will we be out of this alleyway?"_

_The driver answered, "Two more minutes."_

_Chang contacted the other driver, "Step on the gas, we won't last another two minutes." The driver plants his foot down on the gas peddle, increasing the vehicle's speed. When they reach the exit the lead jeep turns hard making the tires screech but the driver reestablishes control and drives along the street. Chang spots the Apache arming its rockets and takes aim with the AN/TWQ-1 mounted stinger missile launcher. After gaining locks, Chang fires the Apache pops flares to direct the stingers away._

_The gunman on the lead Humvee shoots its minigun at the attack helicopter, the Apache dodges. However, it was a distraction allowing the AN/TWQ-1 to reload and Chang locks onto the target. He pulls the trigger sending the missiles on their way, the pilot didn't have time to react and the chopper blows up on contact with the missiles. Debris rains down as the two Humvees escape. Chang's unit rendezvous with the SAT at a makeshift command post and take over. The commander of the SAT unit thank Chang and his unit, Chang nods in return._

_His popularity grew as the number of successful missions grew but popularity was a double-edged sword. One particular higher-up gave some vibes Chang didn't like._

_Shortly after turning 21, Chang was assigned to deal with Chinese extremists in Kashgar located south of the Taklamakan Desert._

_Chang's unit entered the city and asked the mayor of the city where the extremists were. The mayor told him they occupied an area south of the city, thanking the man Chang's unit headed to that sector coming across some apartment complex._

_They're greeted with gunfire and Chang's unit take cover as pedestrians head for the safest place they could find._

_Chang pops out from behind a parked car and fires his assault rifle taking out one shooter on the balcony. Suddenly Chris gets sniped as the bullet easily penetrates his helmet._

_Chang yelled, "Man down!" A war cry alerts him to an extremist dressed as a bystander charging at him, suicide vest strapped to him. Knowing what will happen if the man sets his vest off, Chang puts a bullet through his head thwarting the suicide attack. Chang spots another extremist taking aim with the RPG, prompting them to evade he and Jun, the other remaining special forces member pick up Chris' body and move before the rocket hits the car. He targets the RPG man and blows his brains out while he reloaded._

_Tanaka contacted the command post in Kashgar, "This is Tanaka of the special forces, we are under attack by heavily armed extremists, requesting-" He suddenly stops his request for extraction and shields Chang from light machine gun fire, pink froth sprays onto Chang's face. After what seems like forever, the shooting stops and Tanaka collapses onto Chang. Being heavier than him, Tanaka's body pinned his to the ground._

_The sound of footsteps stop at Tanaka's body and Chang hears the extremist leader talking to someone on the satellite phone._

_The contact demanded, "Have you taken care of Chang and his unit?" Chang's eyes widen in shock, that voice belonged to the higher-up he met._

_The extremist replied, "Yes, sir. They didn't know what hit them."_

_The higher-up said, "That brat's desire to be acknowledged was always his greatest weakness." Shock turns into rage. He was set up!_

_Chang throws Tanaka's body off and pulls out his knife, screaming in blind fury. The extremist leader was expecting this and shoots Chang in the legs and chest, intentionally missing the heart. The enemy brings the satellite phone to his face._

_The higher-up laughed, "Did you like the present I sent you?"_

_Chang cursed, "You son of a bitch! You set my team up!"_

_The higher-up said, "You're expendable, boy. How does it feel knowing you led your own team into an ambush?"_

_Chang vowed, "You're dead. You hear me? Dead!"_

_The traitorous bastard laughed, "Ha, that will never happen because you'll die where you lie. May your guilt plague you even in the afterlife." The call ends and the extremist leader aims to finish Chang off before the young Chinese man somehow brings his Glock 19 out, unloading the entire clip into the enemy. After the body falls to the ground, Chang's weapon arm falls to the ground and he passes out from the pain._

_The next day he woke up in the Kashgar Hospital hooked up to pulse monitors, his body felt like someone tied it to blocks of cement. The doctor came in saying he just got out of surgery, the operators had to carefully remove the bullets in his legs and chest, the latter being mere inches from severing a major artery leading to his heart._

_Chang stared at the ceiling tears run down his face as guilt filled him. He was the only survivor of the mission, nobody else from his unit. The guilty expression on his face turns into burning anger. At that moment Chang swore to exact revenge on the man that set him up even if it took his entire life to do so._

_Immediately after being discharged from the hospital, Chang returned to Special Forces HQ and resigned from the special forces stating what happened to his unit was too much for him. With sadness, the general accepted his resignation._

_This survivor's guilt continued plaguing Chang even after therapy. After that he shut himself off from others. Friends he made during his time with the special forces offered him support to cope with it but Chang refused saying he didn't want to bother them. Unknown to anyone, Chang felt he was dying on the inside due to the guilt. He challenged Ken to sparring matches hoping to beat him alongside doing anything to numb the pain. Sadly Ken prevailed every time._

_He didn't drink alcohol because he was fully aware that it'd make it worse._

End of flashback

Chang stares at his wingmen who stared back with stunned expressions, he lowers his head expecting to be ridiculed or made fun of. It never came because Mori pulls him into a hug caressing his dark hair while Chang had a look of disbelief on his face.

Mori said, "I'm sorry you had to go through such an ordeal."

Catherine asked him neutrally, "You could've told us sooner, we'd never hold it against you. So why didn't you?"

Chang answered, "I was afraid you would laugh or make fun of me so I kept quiet about my seizure disorder. Having to live with Epilepsy is not easy it has an impact on your self-esteem. What's more is that there's no exact causes. Head trauma can be one of them."

Mori asked, "Is that why you take medication?"

Freeing himself out of Mori's comforting embrace Chang pulls out a bronze colored bottle, removes the lid and dumps a small blue pill onto his hand.

Chang said, "Yeah. This medicine is really powerful so the doctor advised me to take one a day, preferably in the morning. It lasts all day. I ran out of my prescription last week but Duero was given a generous amount of medicine one was compatible for my seizures. It was given as a thank you present from the residents of Gaia."

Catherine told him, "Life shouldn't always be about challenging Ken or isolating yourself. If something's bothering you, Chang you can tell us. Find a new hobby, do something you enjoy that way you won't be so bummed out."

Chang cocked his head, "Really?"

Mori said, "You helped the police arrest my tyrannical father. You helped Catherine coping with the loss of her parents."

Catherine encouraged, "Reach for the stars, the sky's limit! Go nuts!"

Chang stared at the ground for a second then said to his wingmen, "You're right."

Catherine gave him a cheeky grin, "Good. Come on, let us show you what hanging with friends can do for ya." They both grab his arms and run of the hanger.

Chang yelled, "Hey, not so fast. You're gonna pull my arms out!" Elsewhere Dita was talking with Ezra while the gentle bridge bunny sowed together a blanket. Ezra allows the redhead to tell her the story without interruption.

Ezra said to her, "Misty's been alone for 63 years in cold sleep so it's no surprise that she's spending time with him. Wouldn't you feel the same if you were in her shoes? Maybe you should become friends with her, Dita. That way Misty will know she's not alone. Hibiki may be rough around the edges but he's becoming a better person. He may not realize it but he does like you, Dita. The determination in his eyes, those are traits of someone in love." Dita's cheeks light up at that word.

It made sense though. Her heart races whenever she thinks about him or fighting at his side.

She's about to say something when Pyoro came out, "I won't let anything happen to Pyoro 2! Ezra, I told you paper diapers aren't good." He towed Sara's basket with a rope.

Ezra said, "Silly Pyoro, Sara isn't a toy you know." Any further conversation is thwarted by a knife cutting the rope and embedding itself in the wall. The occupants turn their heads toward the door Alex stands there with a dark aura that made his hair move about while he glares at the robot with blank, ominous white eyes. They all wondered when did he appear.

He stated with an equally ominous voice, "How many times have you been told not to call Ezra's child that name? She's a human, not a robot." He starts popping his knuckles.

Dita clings to Ezra whimpering in fear at the aura Alex was giving off, Ezra felt afraid though not to the same extent. Sara, bliss her little soul, isn't affected whatsoever.

Pyoro said, "A-Alex...I'm being a paternal figure to Pyoro 2, I mean Sara." He starts shaking when Alex moves closer.

Alex cried, "Paternal figure? Since when did you call yourself that when you aren't even Sara's Ohma?" He retrieved his knife and directed a terrifying grin at the white robot, "In that case, I'll turn you into spare parts for my F-22 Raptor."

Pyoro yelped, "Ahhh! Help me!" He bolts past the Aurelian who immediately gives chase.

He said, "Come back here, you bucket of bolts!" Hibiki enters the still partially flooded men's quarters to see Duero helping Parfet repair the pipes.

Hibiki asked them, "How are the repairs coming?"

Parfet replied, "It'll be a while before they're complete so be patient."

Duero offered, "If you want the repairs done sooner, why don't you help out?"

Hibiki said, "Sorry but plumbing isn't in my job description." Meia leans against the wall arms folded under chest.

She told him, "Even after the repairs are complete and you get your room back, things won't be the same. Am I right, Hibiki?"

Hibiki asked her, "What are you talking about?"

Meia said, "We were raised to believe that men were our sworn enemy that needed to be eradicated. Instead we are helping each other. What's taking place on this ship proves that, what's more is the growing attraction between you and Dita. Surely you would have seen by now. This is something alien to us but Hibiki Tokai would never run away. It's best that you be honest with yourself. Trust me, it will help you in the long run." She leaves the brig.

Hibiki chuckled, "Heh, she's talking more and more these days." Inside the commons, the crew searches through the various cameras for new developments but find none.

Jura sighed, "It's so frustrating just waiting for something to happen." Hibiki returns to the hanger where his Vanguard's at, opening the green bag and his eyes come across the Santa figure of him Dita gave at Christmas.

A voice startled him, "You're thinking about Dita, aren't you?" Recovering Hibiki whips around to see Misty leaning against the door frame to the hanger.

Hibiki sighed in annoyance, "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Misty shook her head, "Nope. I'm an outsider on this ship so I have nowhere else to go. Besides my home planet, Pluto has more than likely been razed by the Harvesters and everyone I know there are gone."

Hibiki tossed her a brush, "Here. If you don't have anything better to do than you can help me polish." Sometime later, he ventures into Reg Central and at first he sees Gascogne turning her chair around to ask Hibiki what he's sulking about but the image gets replaced with the new Reg leader.

Barnette asked, "What? Did you want something?"

Hibiki immediately answered, "Nothing."

The dark green-haired woman said, "I'm not good at playing cards but I'm a very good listener. If you want, you can talk to me."

Hibiki smiled slightly, "Nah, I wouldn't wanna bother you."

Barnette shook her head, "No worries. Please sit down while I make us some tea." Dita reflects on her relationship with Hibiki by herself in the Nirvana's garden while on this journey, shaking her head to steel her resolve before heading out to find him. She stops in her tracks when she discovers Misty hugging Hibiki from behind. Hibiki tries to explain but Dita runs off.

At the cafeteria, Jura was fed up on Dita's hesitation and decides to take action. She exits the cafeteria in search of Dita.

'Where is she?' Jura thought.

She finds the redhead standing in the hallway.

Jura barked, "Dita, come with me. We're going to discuss a new formation with the Dreads. Head to the briefing room ASAP! No excuses."

Dita said with bewilderment, "Uh, roger." Every monitor on the Nirvana turns on including Ken who just got done getting dressed after showering following a workout. He crosses his arms with amusement.

Dita arrives at the briefing room expecting the other Dread pilots there but to her surprise, Hibiki was the only occupant. She jumps when the door slams shut.

Jura popped up on the monitor, _"Listen up. I concocted this plan so that you two can sort things out with each other. Until you do, the door remains locked. One more thing. Stop with this foolishness already."_ She flicked her blonde hair then glared at them, _"You're making me look old here!"_ She ends the transmission after that.

In his room, Ken rubbed his chin, "This should be good." Jura taps her finger impatiently.

She growled, "My god, this is maddening! Are you two gonna stay like that forever? Hurry up and start talking!"

Hibiki told her, _"Shut up! That woman's such a pain in the ass!"_

Dita said, _"So uh, Mr. Alien..."_ She stops in mid-sentence, obviously uncomfortable.

Jura gritted her teeth, "How irritating!"

Misty mused, "Aha, that's what this is all about. Here we have 150 people cheering one woman on. You Mejalian pirates value friendship a lot."

Jura warned her, "This is a good moment, don't you dare get in the way!"

The blue-haired teen shrugged, "No reason to fear. It would be suicide to make enemies out of the entire crew. Anyway the only reason I hung around with Hibiki was to relieve myself of boredom." Meia watches Misty leave.

The red-eyed teen sits on the bench in the garden and starts crying, not knowing that Meia followed her.

The Dread leader called out, "Misty."

Misty glared at her, "What do you want? If it's a lecture then forget it, I am not interested!"

Meia smiled softly at her, "There's no reason to act so tough. Besides, you're not all alone with us around. I mean we're all allies in this fight against Earth, right?" Misty cries in Meia's chest as the Dread leader holds her.

Back with Hibiki and Dita, the two find difficulty talking to each other.

Dita broke the ice, "So uh...the pipes, hope they get repaired soon."

Hibiki nodded timidly, "Yeah." Jura watches the scene from the cafeteria.

She mumbled, "Is he capable of saying anything but that? What's this 'yeah' stuff?"

Amarone pointed her index finger, "Hey, look there!"

Hibiki said, "Hey...uh..." He along with Dita seem to be unaware that their red-tinted faces were nearing each other and before their lips meet, the alarm snaps them back to reality. The viewers moan in protest from the ruined moment.

Barnette clapped her hands to get the stagehands' attention, "Okay girls, show's over. Let's get moving, we got delivery orders to carry out."

In his room, Ken reached for his g-suit, "Just when things were getting good."

Amarone hopped into her bridge control console and said, "Uh-oh, I'm picking up enemy signatures! It's a formation of 6 Seed Ships, 3 Tu-160 Blackjacks and 9 MiG-17s." Meia hears the alarms from the garden.

She told Misty, "I can't stay here, there are enemies to get rid of."

Misty stared at her with sparkling eyes, "Okay. Do your best, dear sister!"

Meia blinked from the girl's sudden change of mood, "Hm? Uh, sure." The pilots run to their fighters.

'I hope Dita and Hibiki's relationship improves after this. At least the love triangle's done with.' Crux thought.

The Harvesters didn't stand a chance leaving the battle very one-sided.

Later on, Hibiki finds himself making his way towards Dita's room. Kyle told him to resolve this love triangle plus man up and tell Dita how he felt about her.

'How did I find myself agreeing to this?' Hibiki mentally whined.

In no time he reaches his destination, clenching his fist Hibiki knocks on the door. Seconds later, the door slides open revealing Dita still in her everyday attire.

A look of surprise was plastered on the redhead's face before it turns into excitement. Faster than Hibiki can blink she pulls him into her room. Hibiki sweats drops at the sight of alien stuff.

'Yep, definitely a UFO nut.' He thought.

Dita sat down on the bed, gently padding it, "Come sit next to me, Mr. Alien." Hibiki gulps and sits down next to her, flinching when Dita hugs him.

She said, "I'm so happy you finally decided to visit my room, Mr. Alien. I was beginning to wonder if you forgot the promise we made."

Hibiki rubbed the back of his head, "Well, Kyle instructed me to resolve this fiasco going between you, me and Misty. And...how...I feel about you." Dita had a look of surprise on her face while inside the redhead's mind, a chibi version of Dita forms the peace sign telling Misty to eat that.

Back in the realm of reality, Dita recovered from the declaration, "Well...this is unexpected." She took his hand and placed it on her chest where her heart was making Hibiki blush, "Can you feel my heartbeat? It races every time you're next to me and aches when you aren't. Why is that?"

Hibiki gulped, "I guess you could call it love." The blush on Dita's cheeks deepened turning them a deep crimson.

The redhead tried to form sentences but they wouldn't come out save for the lump Dita felt in her throat. So instead she settled on the best alternative. She places her slim hand on the back of Hibiki's head pulling him in for a kiss, Hibiki's eyes widened at the contact. Unlike the kiss Misty gave him, this one was full of innocence and love.

Dita had no idea what came over her but she found this kiss liberating. They ultimately had to break for air, an intense blush on their faces.

The redhead said, "I love you, Mr. Alien." Hibiki's mind struggles to register those words.

He stuttered, "I l-love you t-too, Dita." The Dread pilot beamed with happiness, she wanted to hear Hibiki say those words for a long time. Now he said them not caring if he stuttered.

Hibiki gets up to leave but Dita forms a tight grip on his arm prompting the Vanguard pilot to look at her, blue eyes meeting brown.

Dita said, "Stay with me, Mr. Alien. I want you to sleep with me tonight." Seeing him blush again she giggled, "Not that kind of sleep. Just cuddle with me. Please?" Hibiki struggles with his fear of women but Kyle's words gave him the strength to fight back.

He gained enough courage to say, "Very well. Just don't try any funny business." Elated by this, Dita grabbed her pajamas and changes in the bathroom. Once she is finished, Dita pulls the cover to her bed down and hops in, patting the spot next to her. Removing his boots Hibiki hops into her bed, Dita pulls him to her. The grip she had on him made Hibiki know it's no use resisting so the lad proceeds to sleep though a small part of him was still nervous about this.

A/N: Chapter 14 done.

Not much to tell except Chang telling his wingmen the painful childhood he had and the betrayal by the higher-up.

One thing I should ask is how much can Hibiki eat? I know it's an anime plus he's a teen that grew up eating food pellets but come on, even an anime character of his size can only consume so much before he either he passes out or bursts.

Lastly Hibiki visited Dita's room after some words from Kyle.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 15.

Vader 23A


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Revenge

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Kyle sits on the hanger floor doing maintenance on the sheath to his katana humming a tone.

The blade guard of the katana took the form of a demon skull with the lower jaw missing, three rows of curved teeth protruded from the sides adding to the intimidation factor. The hilt stayed the same. A ruby gem filled the dragon's eye socket.

Pulling the sword out, he sees the blade retained the shiny silver color and the kanji was still there. He discovered the changes after he woke up, wondering what caused this change. Was it the Paksis' doing or his burning hatred of Earth? He chooses not to worry about it.

Kyle next performs maintenance on his glaive, knife and Beretta pistol. He was in a good mood following a nice dream last night involving torturing Diego Navarro to his heart's content. Gruesome to others but pleasing to the Aurelian. When the maintenance routine is finished, Kyle picks up the stuff and heads for the shooting room to keep his marksmanship sharp.

Once there, he sets the number of targets to double. Pressing the button green discs appear, making Kyle fire his pistol occasionally stopping to reload. His sharp eyesight aids him in the session. The last target disc is obliterated and he blows the smoke from the Beretta's muzzle then places it in the holster. He suddenly hears his stomach growling. It was time to eat.

Selecting his plate of eggs, sausage and coffee Kyle sits at the table Ken, Chang and Eugene are at.

Kyle greeted them, "Morning, guys."

Ken noticed his student's cheery attitude, "You're all beaming and happy today, Kyle. Did you have a nice dream or something?"

Kyle said, "Yes, I did. It involved me torturing Diego Navarro for all the shit he did. There were flamethrowers, rock showers, spike coffins, getting eaten by sharks, it's all good. I just sat back eating popcorn."

'Damn.' His companions thought.

Eugene asked, "Do you have those kind of dreams often, sir?"

Kyle answered, "Not always. Although it fills me with content when they do."

Eugene exhaled, "I shouldn't have asked." Chang was surprisingly quiet during the conversation, something that Ken notices.

He asked, "You are being quiet, Chang. If something's bugging you, I'm all ears." The young Chinese man knows it'd be pointless to lie so he decides to tell him.

Chang said, "I told my wingmen about my hellish past. Prior to becoming a fighter pilot, that is. Ranging from neglect to having Epilepsy." The three other men had looks of surprise on their faces though Ken hid his.

Ken took a sip of his coffee, "How did they take it?"

Chang said, "Took it pretty well for the most part. They said they'd show me what the benefits of having friends can do for ya."

Ken smiled, "They were true on that. Having friends is important, Chang they can help you in ways you never could on your own. Nobody deserves to live an isolated life."

Chang stated, "Telling them about being set up by the higher-up was difficult. Took me a great deal of willpower to speak about it."

Kyle said, "I can relate. Having your hometown virtually wiped off the map in a bombing run and losing your squad mates during a mission is hard for any soldier. I was able to destroy the weapon that nearly took out my entire squadron over Cape Aubrey, I know they were thanking me for taking out the Gleipnir. I took out one personal demon, now there's only one left." He leaves the part of his family being killed on that day plus his own brush with death.

Eugene confirmed, "Diego Gaspar Navarro." Kyle nods at it.

Ken asked, "Do you feel better now that you got that off your chest?"

Chang smiled slightly, "A little."

The Usean told him, "Never look back, kid. It will stop you from achieving what you want to achieve. Do you plan on being a fighter pilot forever?" Chang was about to answer but Ken went on, "You don't have to tell me. You're still young enjoy it. However, there will come a point where you need to think of other dreams to pursue."

Chang said, "Thank you, Ken." He finds this conversation with these guys very therapeutic.

Kyle turned to Eugene, "Your turn, Mr. Solano. Out of everyone here, you have yet to tell us about your past."

Eugene shrugged, "Mine's nothing special. But to humor ya, guess I'll tell. I was born a single child to Brent and Rei Solano. My mom was a Japanese immigrant while father was Aurelian. Dad was a fitness trainer while mom...she never told me what she did prior to coming to Aurelia. Around the age of 5 I started gaining weight for no apparent reason, I never really ate that much junk food. Dad said his side of the family had a history of weight problems, even obesity in some. Due to this weight gain, I was picked on a lot. My parents told me not to let remarks get to me. When I was in high school, I weighed around 200 pounds even though I was 5'6. A girl came to my rescue, I think her name was Katelyn Hart. We formed a strong friendship, possibly even love but her current boyfriend didn't like where our friendship was going. He threatened me not to steal his girl away from him or I would regret it. I wanted to fight back but my lack of confidence held me back. The guy called me a chicken and his girlfriend slapped him hard, shocking him. Katelyn glared at him stating that was uncalled for."

Kyle asked, "What happened after that?"

The recently turned 21-year old scratched the back of his head, "I...don't remember. I was in a major car accident with my parents shortly after graduation. Woke up in a hospital one week later, head covered in bandages. The doctor came in saying I got out of surgery, apparently I suffered a nasty head injury when my head collided with the passenger front seat. I was lucky my neck didn't snap. My parents survived the crash and had less severe injuries than me. The moment the doctor told me what my name was I had no clue. This made him conclude my head injury was worse than he expected if it affected my memory. In addition to this, a good size of the left side of my skull fractured." He used his index finger to trace an imaginary outline, "Fortunately the doctor said the surgeons were able to use breakthroughs in reconstructive surgery to fix the damage. They used some sort of fluid to regenerate bone. Physical therapy was by no means pleasant, having to learn how to speak right, how to eat, how to chew gum, the whole nine yards. Anyway, I signed up for the Aurelian Air Force. I was assigned to Gryphus Squadron as their AWACS. The diet and exercise program Kyle introduced me to helped me slim down. Other than that, my past was relatively normal compared to you three."

Kyle said, "Besides that, you've become more confident throughout this journey. Be proud."

Eugene smiled, "I am." Elsewhere the Gisborn sisters are chatting.

Mia asked, "Do you think Kyle has fully changed?"

Meia shook her head, "No. When you witnessed your sisters being raped and murdered, having your hometown virtually wiped off the map and having your mother and adopted sister caught in the bombing run it is not easy to cope with."

Mia said, "But you have been helping him."

The slightly older woman sighed, "I've merely been keeping his anger at bay. I fear it's only a matter of time before it boils over." Mia recalls the first time the Onryo Mode possessed Kyle and made him attack. Since then Mia had nightmares about it. One dream she had involved Kyle consumed by the Onryo Mode and slaughtered everyone including his wingmen. Right before succumbing to blood loss, Mia heard him saying he was hungry for more bloodshed. Mia woke up screaming every time it happened. She kept telling herself it was just a dream, however it was still haunting her toward the point where Alex needed to hold her just to make her sleep.

Her face dons a look of horror when the nightmare plays in her mind again, oblivious to Meia calling her name.

Meia shook her head, "Mia, can you hear me?"

Mia returned to the realm of reality, "Sorry, what did you say?"

Meia stares at her sister with concern, "You okay? You spaced out."

The slightly younger Gisborn said, "These bad dreams I've been having are driving me crazy. They won't go away."

Meia suggested, "Maybe you should see if Duero can help."

Mia shook her head, "No, I doubt any medicine he has will help."

Meia said, "Well, you need to find some way to deal with them otherwise they'll really drive you nuts."

Alex appeared out of nowhere, "Hey, girls." The Gisborn sisters see him standing in front of them when Mia suddenly lunges at him, wrapping her arms around his waist burying her face in his chest and starts shaking. The Aurelian looks at Meia wondering why Mia's shaking and Meia shrugs, not wanting to tell Alex the reason why.

On the bridge, the bridge bunnies are having civil chatter while Celtic, wearing a kenoichi outfit, stretches.

She said, "Crazy as this seems, things do get a little boring when the enemy's not attacking."

Amarone told her, "We should take advantage of whatever break we get from engaging the Harvesters." The Nirvana suddenly rocks after getting hit by something, the next thing they know is alarms going off.

The bridge bunnies hopped into their control consoles while BC asked, "What was that?" Bart comes running through the door and jumps into the helm, taking control of the Nirvana.

Amarone said, "Have no idea, didn't see it on radar."

Belvedere alerted, "Second projectile coming in at 5,000Gr, closing fast."

Magno ordered, "Bart, raise the shields!" The second projectile is blocked by the Nirvana's shields.

Bart acknowledged, _"Not on my watch, scrap heap!"_

Magno commanded, "All units, scramble immediately." The attacker uncloaked itself to the Nirvana's 10 o'clock making Magno's eyes to widen, "A Gleipnir class airborne fortress? How many are left?" Kyle runs toward the hanger alongside his wingmen.

He said, "Bridge, this is Kyle what's going on?"

Amarone stated, _"We are under attack by a Gleipnir class airborne fortress. Strange, this one is manned."_

Kyle stopped in his tracks, "Manned you say?" A scary smile formed, "So Diego Navarro, you finally grew some balls and challenge me in person." A barely audible laughter filled with malice can be heard. He feels his bloodlust acting up from the image of the man begging for mercy. Like that would ever happen.

Looking at the weapons he had with him, Kyle had one objective: Find Diego Navarro and punish him along with anyone who'd dare get in his way.

His wingmen stop running and look him.

Eugene asked, "What are you doing, sir? We need to stop the Harvesters!"

Kyle said, "I'm boarding that Gleipnir class airborne fortress."

Alex told him, "By yourself? Are you insane?" He next finds himself pinned to the wall, looking into blue-gray eyes filled with barely restrained fury.

Kyle growled, "Listen up, Alex because I will say this once. You listen as well, Eugene. Diego Navarro is leading this assault and he won't stop until we're dead. Guess what? The feeling's mutual because I won't stop until he dies. I have waited two whole years for this and I refuse to let this opportunity pass me by. I swore to exact revenge on that prick." His eyes briefly flash red before returning to their normal color.

Eugene asked, "At what cost?"

Kyle looked at him, "By any means necessary. The end justify the means." Meanwhile the Gleipnir named Goliath launches capsules that head for the Nirvana, the Dreads wipe out half of them but the rest make it through, attaching themselves to the Nirvana and cut their way through the ship's hull.

On the bridge, Amarone stated, "Captain, the Nirvana's been boarded! Sections 3 through 8 are filled with enemy soldiers!"

BC gritted her teeth, "That's just great. Whoever is coordinating this assault planned it for some time. We don't have the number of people to repel them."

Alex appeared on the monitor, _"Me, Ken, Chang, Mori, Catherine and Eugene will stop the invaders."_

BC gasped, "By yourselves? Don't be crazy, you will get massacred!"

Catherine appeared on a second monitor, _"Don't get your panties in a knot, beautiful. We were trained for this kind of scenario."_

Magno asked, "Why isn't Kyle with you?"

Eugene sighed, _"He took off to land on the enemy ship. Turns out Diego Navarro is leading this attack."_

BC blinked in confusion, "Diego Navarro?"

Alex informed, _"He's the motherfucker that started the Aurelian War. Kyle humiliated him, made Navarro flee from Leasath and now he wants revenge."_ All unarmed crew members were asked to stay in their rooms and lock the doors.

After getting information about the enemy boarding party's locations, the six men split up.

Gryphus 2 waits for his targets to come, loading a fresh clip into his pistol cocking it as quietly as he can. The footsteps get louder as they come close and Gryphus 2 pops out of the corner and fires, the enemy soldiers return fire though Gryphus 2 pulls his face away waiting for the gunfire to stop then shoots again.

A minute passes before he hears the enemy infantry reload, seizing the chance Gryphus 2 grabs his knife and runs toward the enemy boarding party targeting the neck since it was not protected by the armor they wore. Squishing sounds of throats being cut open and blood splattering everywhere fills the hallway leading to the Dread hanger until there was only one left. Unlike the others, this guy was standing there as if expecting this would happen.

The man in question looked about 40 years old, stood around 6'3 and wore a gray armored suit so Gryphus 2 couldn't make out the rest of his appearance. His weaponry included a knife, assault rifle and pistol. Simple but very deadly when used in the right hands.

He said, "You took my men down with no problem, your skills are impressive." He pulled out his knife, "Tell me, young one can they help you beat me?"

Gryphus 2 grinned, "Never imagined I would be in a knife fight. This will be the first time it happens." His eyes scan the suit for potential weak points and spots them around the neck.

The opponent said, "My name is Kent Alexei."

Gryphus 2 replied, "Alex Irvine. Now then..." He charged toward him, "...let's play!" He swings the knife across the neck hoping to strike the jugular vein but Kent parries it generating sparks, Gryphus 2 tries flipping Kent over his shoulder but the added weight from his suit made it difficult and rolls away before his opponent could drive his knife into Gryphus 2's back. Turning around, he blocks a counterattack and throws kicks at Kent who blocks them and retaliates with his own, the suit amplifying his physical strikes send Gryphus 2 staggering on the ground. The Aurelian fights to restore balance and lowers his hand on the floor to stop his momentum and pulls out his pistol. Kent deflects the bullets and closes the distance throwing a punch that Gryphus 2 sidesteps it and nails the left hook. The full helmet absorbs the impact making Gryphus 2 shakes his hand. Before he can react, Kent drives his knee into Gryphus 2's gut driving the air out of him and throws him into the wall. The Aurelian gasps upon contact but then his battle instincts tell him to move which he does, the knife's thick blade penetrates the wall and Kent pulls it out leaving a hole in it. He thrusts the knife downward and Gryphus 2 dodges it feeling the blade cut strands of his hair off. He quickly moves left, right, bending backward, deflecting gunshots and locks blades with his opponent, all the while grunted.

He commented, "You are quite the fighter, much better than that Liz chick."

Kent said, "Unlike her, I don't leave openings." He slammed his foot into Gryphus 2's chest sending the young man flying back, "Come on, kid do you really expect every opponent to fight the same? Each foe you fight will be different."

'Fuck me, he's giving me the same lecture Kyle did when he trained me.' Gryphus 2 thought as he got up.

He rubs his chest feeling the ribs which stung every time he takes a breath. Doing his best to ignore the mild pain, Gryphus 2 holds his knife horizontally so that it lined up with his left hand. Gryphus 2 thinks of a different fighting style because Kent obviously knew his current one. Looking at the man's arms, the Aurelian discovers the gauntlets Kent wore was the source of his enhanced strength. If he can get at least one, it should even the battle out.

Charging at him Gryphus 2 swings the knife at Kent's throat, the opponent dodges it but it was a feint as Gryphus 2 reached for the gauntlet covering Kent's right arm. The man realizes his plan and throws Gryphus 2 overhead. The Aurelian lands on his feet and resumes trying to remove the object and again Kent thwarts it. The 40-year old throws a punch that Gryphus 2 blocks it and pulls grunting at the same time. Kent yanks his arm back but Gryphus 2 won't let go. One final pull removes the right gauntlet and equips it to his arm, fortunately the item could be adjusted so that it fit his smaller arms. Gryphus 2 immediately feels power flowing through his veins. Drawing his knife again, the young man runs toward Kent.

He bellowed, "Banzai!" Fenrir races for Goliath while at the same time taking in the behemoth's appearance.

It lived up to its name being the largest of the airborne fortresses, gray in color, had thick armor, many aircraft launch bays lined its body and powerful fusion reactors powered its four engines.

Activating its Optical Camoflauge, Fenrir was rendered invisible to enemy detection even as swarms of hostile aircraft emerge from Goliath. Gryphus 1 didn't care his real target was aboard that ship and he will ensure Navarro does not escape.

The Dread pilots see the huge swarm of airplanes.

Mia stated the obvious, "Holy shit."

Her older sister commanded, _"Meia to all units, engage the enemy. I repeat, engage the enemy. This is the last Gleipnir class airborne fortress. The destruction of this giant will let our enemy know we won't surrender."_

The pilots replied in unison, _"Roger!"_ Leading the enemy formation was a squadron of S-47s.

The flight lead said, "Alect 1 here. We have visual confirmation of the target. You are free to engage the other fighters but the silver Dread is our primary target."

'So that's Alect Squadron.' Hibiki thought, remembering Alex telling him about that squad.

He combines with Dita's Dread to form Vandread Dita and readies the laser cannons, Alect Squadron takes evasive action but some of the enemy fighters aren't so lucky vaporizing upon contact. The knight-like machine flinches when missiles hit its back, whipping around Vandread Dita fires its laser cannons at Alect 2 and 3 but the S-47s dodge it. Attaching its left laser cannon to its arm, the Vandread lights up its boosters and charges the formation cutting down any fighter jet that gets in its way. Sensing danger the shiny blue machine grabs a MiG-29 and rips it in two before throwing it aside the pieces explode shortly afterward. Seeing the countless military aircraft still flying, Vandread Dita points the laser lance on its arm at the opposition.

Meia downs two F-14 Tomcats when the missile warning goes off instinct kicks in forcing Meia to evade. Her Dread's maneuverability outclasses the AMRAAM missiles and collide into each other. The missile warning didn't let up as more missiles come zeroing in, grunting she manages to shake off each one. Hibiki witnesses the event and quickly decides to help.

He looked at Dita, "Meia needs help, let's separate."

Dita nodded, "Right!" Defusing the Vandread, Hibiki's Vanguard races toward the Dread leader cutting down and evading enemy fire then combines to form Vandread Meia. The machine's superb speed helps it avoid missiles.

Lining up with the heart of the formation, Vandread Meia becomes engulfed with that aqua green aura and moves at incredible speeds eviscerating the group of MiG-17s before escaping the enemy swarm. The radar warning sounds and the two look over their shoulders to see Alec 3 lining up for a missile. The Vandread pulls evasive maneuvers but the S-47 keeps up with them.

On the bridge, Amarone said, "Captain, the S-47 is pursuing Vandread Meia."

BC asked incredulously, "Impossible. Vandread Meia's the fastest unit we have."

Magno narrowed her gray eyes, "The enemy now has fighter jets that can keep with it. This isn't good."

Ezra gasped in realization, "Captain, Meia's the target of this attack!" That sent off warning alarms in the Dread pilots, Meia was the leader of the Dreads and the enemy knows if Meia's taken out the others will crumble.

Magno ordered, "All units, guard Meia. Don't let the enemy shoot her down." She gets a "roger" from the pilots.

Inside the Nirvana, Chang mows down every hostile in his path his gut telling him that someone is close by. Arriving at the cafeteria, Chang sees it supposedly empty but then whips around to grab hold of the attacker's arms and places his foot on the chest then tosses the attacker over him. Recovering from the throw, the enemy gets to his feet and Chang's eyes narrow at the person standing before him.

He said, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show your face, Minato Sakagami." The said man stood at 5'11, 38 years old, had short black hair, tanned skin, coal black eyes and wore a Chinese military uniform but lacked the body armor. His weaponry was pretty much only a knife confirming Chang's suspicion of him being a close-range fighter.

Minato grinned, "I see you somehow cheated death."

Anger formed on Chang's face, "Ever since you set me up during my time with special forces, the one thing that kept me going was making you pay. I can hear my fallen comrades telling me revenge is at hand. Come, traitorous fucker. Feel my wrath." Chang gets into his fighting stance, one arm held behind the head with the other extended forward, the dominant foot was held back in preparation for forward movement.

Minato's attack stance was that of a boxer, feet shoulder-width apart and arms held up.

They run at at each other then lock up, testing their strength like two bulls. The lock ends in a draw and Minato throws a punch, Chang blocks it and retaliates with a vicious back hand staggering the opponent. Not allowing his opponent a chance to strike back, Chang pins Minato to his shoulder and rams him into the metal edge of the food table sending jolts of agony through the man's spine before shattering a plate on his place followed by throwing him over a nearby table. Quickly pinning him to the ground, Chang punches Minato in the face and the higher-up covers up to protect his face. He kicks Chang in the face a couple of times sending Chang back and gets up.

He held his cranium, "That hurt, punk."

Chang replied, "It's nothing compared to the pain I felt knowing my comrades died because of you. This time you will not escape." Minato attacks him with a flurry of punches and jabs with his knife, however Chang modified his fighting style over the past couple of weeks with his squad mates, having finally learned the dangers of all-out offense at the expense of defense.

He thwarts a stabbing thrust aimed for his head and slams it against the table numerous times until the blade fell out of his hand and onto the floor with a loud clank. Minato catches an outstretched arm and locks it behind Chang's back, the young Chinese man thrusts the elbow of his free arm against Minato's temple, freeing his arm in the process. The two land punches though none connect with the respective fighter's face. That is soon rectified because Chang trips the opponent and drives his elbow into the enemy's sternum knocking the air out of Minato's lungs. Picking him up, Chang body slams Minato onto another table. The traitor arches his back in pain.

Chang bellowed, "Get up! Your pain has only begun!" Outside Reg Central, Mobius 1 lands a powerful backhand against a female fighter. Normally he wouldn't put his hands on a woman but his battle hardened instincts told him she was a threat that must be eliminated.

The woman looked around 27 years old, stood at 5'11, had an athletic build, gray eyes, fair skin, 38C cup breasts and wore a uniform soldiers wear on the battlefield.

She yelped, "Ah!" She lands on her butt panting from the fight she was in, locking eyes with Mobius 1 whose own eyes were red and pupils dilated signaling that Phantom Mode was active.

'Now that I actually fought him I see why Mobius 1 is so feared by many. Stonehenge couldn't stop him, even Yellow Squadron, Erusea's greatest fighter squadron, couldn't do it! Guess he deserves being called the Grim Reaper.' She thought.

The woman barely had time to raise her arms to block a kick from Mobius 1 and staggered back yet somehow remained on her feet, glaring at the Usean with blood pouring from a cut on her forehead. She did however land a few good shots on him, there are bruises on Mobius 1's face though he ignores them.

He commented, "I admire your persistence, Samantha however if you continue fighting, the end result will be you dying."

'I was foolish to think with a thought out and right location, I had a chance of winning this fight. However, I can't afford to lose. You won't be walking out of this fight alive no matter what.' Samantha thought.

Mobius readied himself after seeing the determination in the young woman's eyes, "You wanna keep going? Sometimes retreat is the better option." He sidesteps a jab and drives his knee into Samantha's gut followed by a rapid series of brutal punches and kicks. Pain engulfs her body, it can't take much more punishment.

Mobius 1 told her, "Last chance, girl. Turn back."

Samantha growled, "Fuck you! I won't lose to a prick like you. You are nothing but a boy trapped in a grown man's body. Why did your wingmen followed a dumbass like you is beyond me!" Mobius 1 lowers his head so that his hair shadows his face. One of the things he hated besides Erusea invading his country was him or his wingmen being insulted.

Lifting his head, Mobius 1's eyes turned cold, "I offered you a chance to surrender and this is how you repay me? By insulting me and my wingmen? You just wrote your death sentence, bitch." Faster than the eye can perceive the Usean was in front of her throwing his fists into her mid-section, grabbing her arm Mobius 1 slams his elbow into the temple before grabbing her throat, lifting him up and chokeslams her. Samantha gasps at the pain hitting her nerves. Mobius 1 picks her up and chokeslams her again and again until he heard the woman's spine crack. One final chokeslam fully breaks the spine in half, killing the woman. Her eyes glaze over.

With his opponent now dead, Mobius 1 falls to one knee breathing heavily. The main drawback with Phantom Mode is that leaves him exhausted if used for a long time. Realizing there were still lots of enemy infantry on the ship, the Usean rises to his feet and runs to his next destination. As he did, he felt the dark part of himself he kept under control for so long reawaken.

Fenrir boards the Goliath and lands, engines winding down. The canopy to the still cloaked fighter jet opens up and Gryphus 1 jumps out landing on his feet. Looking directly in front of him, Gryphus 1 spots numerous armed soldiers waiting for him, rifles taking aim. A bloodthirsty grin forms on the young man's face, sinister chuckle escapes him.

(It gets graphic here. Those who are not of the appropriate age or don't like this kind of stuff, turn back immediately)

Activating his cloaking device, the Aurelian becomes invisible. The soldiers keep an eye out for him when they hear a sharp whirling noise catches their attention, gazing in front of them 2 spike discs come at them. They only had enough time to scream before they're dissected blood and entrails cover the floor the discs next return to the thrower like a boomerang does. However they get thrown again, maiming additional soldiers painting the floor with more blood. Flicking the red fluid off upon return, Gryphus 1 places them back into their holsters and pulls out his glaive squeezing the hilt to extend both blades. After twirling it over his head a few times he charges toward the group. He swings one end of the weapon diagonally through another soldier's chest, dismembering the body with a sickening crunch of bone and shoots his pistol at the nearest target. The others panic firing blindly at the invisible attacker.

Gryphus 1 stands in front of one soldier lifting him over his head and rips him in half and approaches the next victim grabbing his shotgun, placing it underneath his chin and pulls the trigger blowing the head off. His bloodlust growing stronger by the minute, Gryphus 1 impales a minigun wielding solider with his wrist blades hoisting him up as the man screams in agony.

Gryphus 1 said, "Shut up." He rips the man's head off then allows the body to slide off. He growls at the still numerous fanatics loyal to Diego Navarro, the blood dripping from his wrist blades made the weapon visible though he didn't care.

One enemy soldier was foolish enough to challenge him to a knife fight but he was quickly outmatched by Gryphus 1's skill with the blade, driving the knife up from under the lower jaw and striking a major artery to the brain killing the fool instantly. Freeing his weapon, the Aurelian uses the corpse's pant leg to wipe the blood off his knife then sheathes it.

Looking at his next victim, Gryphus 1 said, "Your turn." The guy screams in terror before Gryphus 1 thrusts his free hand through the man's chest, the hand emerges from the other side holding the heart and making the enemy gurgle on his blood. Throwing the heart aside the vengeful Aurelian grabs hold of the minigun and winds it up before pulling the trigger, a rain of bullets plow through the targets. He empties the entire gun of ammunition. Bullets litter the blood stained floor. He decides on giving the weapon to Barnette as a gift when he returns.

The remaining soldiers back up in horror as Gryphus 1 cuts them down one by one blood dripping from his wrist blades made him more terrifying. He deactivates the cloaking device rendering him visible.

He asked, "Who's next?" The petrified men turn around to flee Gryphus 1 watches in sadistic amusement for a moment before chasing them, leaping into the air wrist blades and glaive over his covered face. He lands on the soldier beneath him, wrist blades and glaive punch through his body killing him instantly.

Getting to his feet he continues chasing after his fleeing prey, leaping into the air stabbing another soldier through the head and his comrade next to him through the chest. The bloodshed continues for another 5 minutes until the hanger grows quiet, the only noise being blood dripping from Gryphus 1's drawn weapons. He suddenly rears back laughing psychotically. Beneath his helmet the red vein marks slowly make their way up Gryphus 1's neck before stopping at the contours of his lower jaw while his eyes turn glowing red and his pupils become slits, signaling that the first level of the Onryo Mode was activated. The vein marks suddenly brighten in response to his bloodlust being released completely. He methodically turns his head to stare into the security camera.

On the Goliath's bridge, Diego Navarro glares at the monitor connected to the hanger more specially glaring at Gryphus 1. A bridge operator next to him vomits at the gory scene shown to them. They next watch Gryphus 1 shoot the camera, ending the video.

Navarro asked, "Where is he going?"

One bridge operator said, "The lower levels. What could he want down there?" Back outside, the Dreads continue struggling with protecting Meia while protecting their own hinds.

Hearing the missile warning, Hibiki growled, "Man, will you back off already?" Vandread Meia shakes off the warning and orange bullets screech past the canopy window. Turning to their 3 o'clock high they spot a MiG-29 shooting its cannon before switching to a heat-seeking missile. It doesn't get the chance to fire it because it gets destroyed by a missile from Mia's Dread, the gray aircraft soars past them.

Arming her missiles, Mia chases a pair of MiG-17s. She waits for the missile and when she does Mia pulls the trigger, the missiles fly toward their respective targets and destroy them.

Mia said, "You guys aren't taking my sister away. I won't allow it!" Nearby Jura coordinates with Dita to protect each other.

Inside the Nirvana, at his location, Gryphus 2 lands a kick to the stomach of his opponent.

Despite the pain, the enemy commented, "I must say you're a tough cookie for someone of your age."

Gryphus 2 replied, "Well, I was trained by Kyle Masterson. Before I end your life, I wanna know something. What's become of Aurelia following our disappearance?"

Kent cocked his head, "Why do you wanna know?"

Gryphus 2 demanded, "Don't play dumb with me, you know something. I will give you one more chance. What happened to Aurelia?"

The enemy shook his head, "I honestly don't know, kid."

A look of anger appeared on Gryphus 2's face, "Then you are of no use to me! So prepare to die!" Over the past several days, Gryphus 2 became obsessed with discovering Aurelia's fate but didn't find any leads, frustration built. It grew to the point where it started eating at his sanity and this latest development finally broke that last chain.

With a scream of fury, Gryphus 2 charges at him knife drawn the enemy fighter raises his knife in time to block Gryphus 2's strike but the Aurelian presses his weight into the attack, pushing the enemy to his knees. Looking into the younger man's hazel eyes, he sees only murderous intent. Gryphus 2 stomps toward his target.

He said, "You won't escape. I will beat the information out of you!" Readying the knife he charges, throwing all of his weight into a downward stabbing move but the enemy soldier blocks it. However, Gryphus 2 trips him and stabs him in the shoulder, twisting it to add more pain.

The opponent grimaced, "It hurts. It hurts."

Gryphus 2 interrogated, "Now answer me. What happened to Aurelia following disappearance? Was it taken over? Destroyed? Maybe a combination of both?"

His opponent spoke through the pain, "I told you I don't know." He screams when Gryphus 2 stabs him again. The Aurelian continues stabbing the shoulder until Kent lost all feeling in the limb

Catherine and Mori are busy dealing with opponents of their own.

The one Catherine was facing stood around 5'6, blue eyes, 20 years old, black hair with purple highlights, tanned skin, high B cup breasts and wore a green short top, desert brown shorts, white socks and combat boots. Her name was Kelly Mikamura

The person Mori was fighting stood slightly taller than Kelly at 5'8, green eyes, 19 years old, fair skin, bob-cut styled auburn hair, medium C cup breasts and wore a white tank top, black shorts, white socks and brown combat boots. Her name was Stella Reinberg.

Mori's CQC skills were keeping her safe from harm as she only had bruises on her arms while Catherine had one on her face and another on her left forearm.

Stella runs at Mori cocking her fist back to punch the young Japanese woman's face in Mori ducks, dropping to her stomach then stands on her hands to scissor Stella's head between her legs and slams her to the ground.

Catherine commented, "Nice legs, Mori. Bet you can turn anyone to mush with those beauties."

Mori blushed, "Damn it, Catherine stop teasing me during combat. You did it at the battle of Gaia and you do it again when we are being attacked by people. This isn't a game we're playing here."

Catherine giggled, "Your blush makes you cuter."

Mori gritted her teeth, "Can you tease somebody else?"

The British pilot grinned, "Maybe." Mori jumps away from Stella's kick aimed for her face and Stella gets to her feet and runs at Mori, the older woman grabs the outstretched arm and throws Stella over her. She next drives her fist into the black-haired fighter's chest, small bits of blood escape her mouth. Mori grabs Stella's right arm and wraps her legs around it in a cross arm submission hold, gritting her teeth as she pulls trying to rip the arm out of its socket. Stella rolls onto her front and punches Mori in the face to make her let go Mori does and Stella restores her vertical base shaking her arm to restore circulation. She doesn't a moment to fully recuperate because Mori gets behind her and hits the German suplex on her. A little more force could have broken Stella's neck.

Catherine watches her fight Stella, she was impressed. Mori deflected each of her opponent's moves and countered with her own attack.

She senses Kelly attempting to attack her from behind, Catherine does the backhand to stop it then spins on the ball of her foot to fight back. The British woman throws a roundhouse kick on Kelly followed by a clothesline that almost took her head off. She next stomps on any exposed body part and finishes with the head.

Catherine taunted her opponent, "You cannot win." A kick to Catherine's face allows Kelly to stand up and the two exchange blows, landing the occasional punch. Catherine lands a harder punch that sends Kelly rolling on the floor, she looked to stomp Kelly's face in but the younger woman avoids it. She spears Catherine and straddles her to ruin the dyed-haired woman's face though Catherine covers up. Kelly grows frustrated since she can't land a hit on Catherine and the British woman places both feet on Kelly's stomach then pushes with all strength. Kelly pushes herself up using her hands and spots Catherine giving her the finger, blue eyes widen before Kelly snarls at her. She runs at Catherine but the British woman sidesteps and Kelly collides with the wall making Catherine laugh. When the enemy turns around, the older woman secures her arms around Kelly's waist and throws her in the overhead belly to belly suplex.

Mori mirrored her move with Stella and wraps her legs around the auburn-haired woman's neck in a submission hold for who knows how long before slamming the point of her elbow onto Stella's skull. They both rise to their feet and Stella connects a hard punch to the ribs, Mori grunts from the hit. Fighting through the pain Mori slowly closes the distance and her opponent does the same. The young Japanese woman throws kicks that Stella block where's Stella thwarts every punch. However, she fails to stop an uppercut to the jaw, some teeth fly out of Stella's mouth. Wounded the enemy throws her fists at empty air and Mori goes in for the kill, landing punch after punch to Stella's mid-section, driving her elbow into the left temple then gets behind her, securing Stella's neck in her arms. With a sickening crack, Mori breaks her neck.

Looking at Catherine, Mori said, "Nailed it." Not wanting to be outdone, Catherine resumes fighting Kelly landing hits on her and sees her running.

The young British woman parries the attacks then draws her knife, stabbing Kelly in the foot and thrusts it upward in a straight line and into the side of her neck piercing a blood vessel, death's instantaneous. Catherine pulls the knife free, wiping it clean with the dead woman's shorts.

Mori said, "Brutal."

Catherine deadpanned, "Seriously? That's all you can say?"

Mori replied, "You made that woman resemble a human chopping board. What did you expect me to say?" Catherine face palms at that question.

However, she quickly recovered, "I must admit you looked hot during that fight. The way your body moved so gracefully sent shivers down my spine." She backs Mori up to the wall behind her and runs a hand down her side, relishing in the feeling of her curves against it. Mori squirms at the sensation as a hot blush formed on her cheeks. She places her hands on Catherine's shoulders to get the woman to stop but whatever resistance she had was failing, her body giving in to the jolts of pleasure running through it.

Catherine feels Mori placing her arms around her back making the slightly younger woman smile mentally. As much as she wanted to continue, Catherine knows they had to wait until the Nirvana was secured. Pulling away from the torrid lip lock, Catherine sees disappointment in Mori's dark brown eyes.

Catherine said, "Let's go find Chang." She then whispered, "Don't worry, we'll resume this soon. That is a promise." The dye-haired women head out to search for their squadron leader.

On the Goliath, Gryphus 1 continues his bloody rampage showing no remorse to his victims. He soon finds himself on a R&amp;D floor, the scientists spot him and run for their lives but Gryphus 1 throws the discs at them. The scientists' bodies are instantly turned into bloody chunks. A truly demonic smile forms on his face. He then sees a white laptop on a desk, walking over to it he notices a folder on the home screen.

Moving his index finger on the central mouse pad Gryphus 1 double clicks to open the folder. In it he finds two files, one an audio file the other something important because when he tries to access it, it was password protected. Maybe another clue to Aurelia's fate.

Whimpering reaches the filters of his helmet, looking over his shoulder Gryphus 1 spots the last surviving scientist no older than 20 staring at him with absolute fear, looking downward he finds out the man pissed his pants. Advancing toward him, he demands the fool to copy the second file onto USB flash drive on the promise that he'll let the scientist live.

The young man pulls a flash drive out of the desk drawer and inserts it into the USB port. He places the file onto the flash drive and removes it before walking back to Gryphus 1 to hand it over. The Aurelian takes it and the left side of the chest plating opens revealing itself to be a breast pocket, a little modification to the g-suit he requested from Parfet.

Placing the flash drive in, the breast pocket slides backward to close.

He directed his gaze to the scientist, **"Thank you for cooperating. Now you die."**

The scientist was stunned, "But you said you'd let me live."

Gryphus 1 drew his wrist blades, **"I lied."** He cut the man's head off, **"Anyone affiliated with the Gray Men, even if they're non-combatants like you are sentenced to death."** He stands in front of the laptop and double clicks on the audio file. Turns out there were 5 files each of various time limit. He opens the first one and the video buffers up. It was made by a female scientist.

She said, _"The date is May 1, 1990. I recently signed up for the R&amp;D department for the mysterious Gray Men after they reviewed my PhD in genetics. They said they were fascinated with human genetics and how it can be altered. The project was kept secret from the higher-ups. It was originally intended to discover ways to change the genetic structure. One scientist nearly died after being in a major car accident and upon his recovery, he became obsessed with finding ways to extend a person's lifespan enabling them to live longer. This is also meant slowing down the effects of aging or perhaps reverse it. He tasked it to me to create a serum that could potentially grant someone eternal youth. It always eluded mankind although we can imagine what it'd be like. I started mixing compounds the next day but I had no idea what the side effects would be if we administered it to a human too soon. I recommended we test it on rats first, discovering the side effects and find ways to adjust the composition to make it more stable. The way it's supposed to work is enter the subject's bloodstream, multiply and bind itself to the genes that regulate the aging process and revitalize it. This would trigger a chain reaction that would alter the entire genetic structure, making the person actually de-age, becoming younger again, I would say around early 20s. Two days later, the first human subject, a man in his 40s was brought in for the experiment. I told my boss the serum wasn't ready but he was impatient and wanted it tested ASAP. Not wanting to be fired, I gave him the serum. He offered me a front row seat and I reluctantly took it. What happened next would forever haunt me. We watched as the serum was injected into the subject's bloodstream, for a few seconds nothing happened. 10 seconds later the man's body started reacting violently to the serum, convulsing and the guys overseeing the experiment tried to keep him strapped to the table. The man broke free of his restraints and started attacking so the scientists terminated him with a lethal poison. The body was carried out of the room but the next subject was 38 years old and in great shape. They repeated the experiment but ended with the same result except this time the serum literally altered his brain chemicals causing him to think he was God but the heart couldn't handle the strain and gave out. Over the next few days the serum composition was altered and we studied the various side effects. The most common were hallucinations, headaches, homicidal intent, swelling of the limbs, rapid aging, coma and sometimes death. I continued finding ways to stabilize it but the failures became more extreme. Some of the subjects escaped only to die a few days later because their bodies couldn't handle it. There were reports of cannibalism similar to someone addicted to bath salts. 3 years later, I perfected the serum that would grant eternal youth and gave it to one of the senior staff. The last test subject was in his 70s and in awesome shape for his age. The serum was injected and we waited for any of the side effects. They didn't show, in fact the opposite. We watched as the man's appearance changed, his receding gray hair became fuller and returned to the brown color it once was, his physique became muscular, all the wrinkles vanished and energy he once had returned. The testing was a success. Sadly eternal youth was not enough for the scientists. They started to crave immortality. To cheat death basically. It was a miracle a serum for eternal youth was created but one for immortality was not possible. It is a violation against the rules of nature."_ The video reaches the 20 minute mark and ends. The second audio file was much shorter about 5 minutes long, indicating it was rushed.

Gryphus 1 started the next entry and the female scientist resumed,_ "June 5, 1995, slightly over two months since the Belkan War began. I listened to the war's progression over the news while continuing my research into altering the human body safely. Ever since the war started on March 25, the project took on a darker turn. The Belkan military requested the R&amp;D department look into the idea of creating super soldiers meant for the front line. The expected results are increased strength, enhanced stamina and endurance. In a nutshell, they were expected to be built like a tank. Some of my colleagues fiercely objected the proposal because of its unethical nature. We stated that it would be impossible to create a super soldier because there was a 90% chance the subjects would die. Even if they did survive the procedure, it's likely their bodies would give out shortly afterward. Since adult bodies couldn't handle the changes, the Gray Men started looking into using younger people such as children or teenagers for the biological augmentation because the higher-ups believed their developing bodies would be able to adapt to the changes better. This proclamation made me sick to my stomach. Fortunately it was too late, the Belkan army was losing to the combined forces of the Osean Federation, Union of Yuktobanian Republics, the Kingdom of Sapin and the Republic of Ustio, the latter being a former part of Belka. Their victories were led by a mercenary pilot named Cipher also known as the Demon Lord of the Round Table and his wingman Pixy, both hired by Ustio. When I heard Belka detonated seven nuclear bombs in a failed last-ditch effort to avoid defeat, I quit the R&amp;D department and fled to Osea for safety." _After the second audio file ends and Gryphus 1 felt his anger grow.

'So they didn't just target me or Alex but others as well. Those sick bastards!' He mentally seethed.

The third recording was about the same length as the second and was basically a continuation. In it, the female scientist mentions she resumed perfecting the eternal youth serum to ensure there were as little side effects as possible.

The fourth audio file's date was January 1, 2013 and this time, the person was a male scientist in his early 30s.

The man said, _"My name is Stanley Gabriel, descendant of Lily Gabriel. I recently discovered Lily's notes on eternal youth and sought to continue her work. She was appalled by the Gray Men's super soldier project during the final days of the Belkan War. Luckily, the project was canceled due to lack of funding. So for the last 18 years, the project remained untouched until today when descendants of the Gray Men received funding by some military commander of Leasath. Of course, I stayed away from them after listening to Lily's audio reports about their motives. Since the serum was complete, I started a new project to recreate organic limbs of the human body. My plan was for it to create new flesh and blood limbs. It took me four months to complete it but it was ready for testing. I read in the newspaper that someone named Alex Irvine suffered a nasty fall and snapped his lower spine, forcing him to have it replaced with a prosthetic one. Seeing this as my chance to see if my project succeeded, I infiltrated the hospital Alex was staying at and secretly added the regrowth serum into one of the syringe vials being used for the operation. Because I don't want the serum to react violently, I designed it to slowly but progressively turn the metal into stuff bone, muscles, nerves, etc were made of. I left the hospital and while waiting for the bus to pick me up, I crossed paths with Cipher who just entered his early 60s. Having heard of his contributions to ending the Belkan War in 1995, I decided to give him the sole vial of eternal youth and the hypodermic needle to inject it. He merely stared at the stuff while I hopped onto the bus. Under normal circumstances it'd be a time for celebration but what happened next seven years later put pain to those thoughts."_ There was now a sense of foreboding rising in Gryphus 1's stomach.

He played the last file and Stanley said, _"October 5, 2020, a good friend of mine, Gale finished doing the augmentation surgery on Kyle Masterson, repairing all the damage done to him due to a warehouse explosion and fire. The surgery was supposedly developed by the Aurelian military and in a way, it was. Unknown to them, they fulfilled the project the original Gray Men started during the closing days of the Belkan War. Gale sent me an e-mail about the surgery's success. Kyle's strength, stamina and endurance was boosted to superhuman levels, just like the original Gray Men sought. The prosthetic left arm wasn't expected for me to hear. Whether Kyle would experience any side effects or not, I cannot say. Something told me that it was only a matter of time before Alex Irvine suffered the same fate. We, including me much to my regret since I felt responsible to continue the project that Lily didn't want any part of, learned much from this operation. It showed that with the right chemical mixtures the human body can be augmented to the way we see fit. The only feeling I have is disgust since the descendants of the Gray Men will no doubt continue this super soldier program to exact revenge on its enemies for the humiliating defeat Belka suffered 25 years ago. Wherever you are, Kyle Masterson, I am sorry you had to be part of this."_ The recording ends and Gryphus 1 balled his fists as he felt his anger continue to grow, only one man would fund the project.

With a scream of primal fury, he grabs the laptop and throws it against the wall shattering it before proceeding to trash the lab floor destroying the supercomputers and cloning vats he saw.

He growled, **"The reason behind this whole project is now clear. Damn it, you're telling me the Gray Men didn't use just me as their lab rat but other people including innocent children and teens? Not only that but you intended on achieving immortality? Starting with me and Alex? Screw youuuuuuuuuuu!"** His scream echoes through the room.

Behind Gryphus 1's helmet, the brightly glowing red vein marks pulsate in response to his anger.

The communicator in his helmet beeped and he answered, **"What?"**

Mia said, _"Gryphus 1, the enemy is targeting Meia! I think Diego Navarro planned this because the Nirvana is being attacked too!"_

Gryphus 1 ordered with anger, **"Don't let her or the Nirvana crew be killed. If you do, I'll come back out there and shoot you down myself."**

That sent chills down Mia's spine, _"Yes, sir!"_ Directing his eyes to the elevator ahead of him, Gryphus 1 enters and presses the button that will take him to the bridge.

Back in the Nirvana's cafeteria, Chang and Minato glare at each panting.

Chang was bleeding from a cut on his left temple, his right arm was dangling which meant it popped out of its socket, bruises and panting from the lengthy fight with his enemy.

Minato wasn't much better. He was bleeding from a cut on his lip, missing some teeth, broken nose and bruised left eye.

The man declared, "It's not over yet." The two battered men gingerly advance toward each other, Chang throws the first punch with his good arm, Minato retaliates with a punch of his own, Chang punches harder causing Minato to yell in pain. Drawing on the last reserves of strength, Chang drives his fist deep into Minato's gut followed by a kick to the jaw. The higher-up stands on wobbly feet and Chang throws yet another hard punch causing Minato to cough up blood. One final roundhouse kick sends him to the ground, out cold. After 5 minutes of waiting, Chang deduced that he ended the traitor's life.

Releasing a sigh, he pops the arm back into its socket rotating it to make sure it still worked properly. He turns around to leave the cafeteria when a groan reaches his ears, looking over his shoulder he spots Minato getting to his feet. Growling in annoyance, Chang prepares to end this fight. Walking to the kitchen, Chang pulls out a bunch of kitchen knives of different sizes.

He called out, "Hey asshole, behind you." A dazed Minato whips around to see Chang finishing put the knives onto a silver cooking sheet. He raises his right arm, wincing at the soreness yet fights through it and thrusts it downward, launching the knives into Minato's chest. The man collapses onto his back, Chang knows they struck vital areas. Pulling the knives out he brings them to the sink so that he can clean them of blood. After the task was done, Chang places them into the drawers along with the cooking sheet.

The young Chinese man said as he neared the exit, "I can feel my soul beginning to weep for it is done. Tanaka, Chris, you can finally rest in peace." Exiting the cafeteria, Chang leans against the wall sliding down until he was sitting. The urge to cry was really difficult to resist but he refuses to show weaknesses.

Catherine's voice got him out of his sad state, "There you are, Chang. What happened to you? You look like you've been through hell."

Chang chuckled, "Matter of fact, I was. Finally got retribution."

Mori said, "You mean the higher-up that got your special forces unit killed?"

Chang nodded, "Yes." Looking up, he notices something different about Catherine's hair. There were specks of blonde in her dyed hair.

Catherine noticed him staring, "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Their squad leader said, "What's up with your hair?"

Catherine's replied, "Oh, my hair. I decided that there was no point hiding my pain anymore. I felt it was time to let go of the past."

'Yet you're still a flirt.' Mori thought.

The British woman gave him a friendly smile, "Besides I got you guys here with me. Come, let's get you to the infirmary so Duero can patch you up." The two women help escort their squad leader to the infirmary.

After placing him on one of the beds, Duero goes to work treating Chang's injuries.

While he was doing that Chang said, "You look better with blonde hair, Catherine."

Catherine tilted her head, "You think so?"

Chang nodded, "Yeah. It complements your beauty."

The British woman purred, "You're not bad yourself. Maybe I can show my appreciation to you." A blush forms on Chang's normally calm face, this was the first time someone complemented his looks.

Mori slapped the back of her head, "Hey!"

Catherine rubbed the spot she was hit, "What? Don't tell me you're jealous?" The two enter a verbal fight while Chang blinks and then something unexpected happens.

Mori and Catherine hear laughter coming from their flight lead, another first since they haven't seen him laugh.

Duero advised, "Hold still, Chang."

Chang used his free hand to wipe the tears from his eyes, "Sorry about that, doc." His wingmen look at each in surprise then laugh, elation flows through them knowing their plan to get Chang be more expressive was running smoothly.

Mobius 1 pants from dealing with multiple soldiers outside the hallway leading to the restrooms. Phantom Mode deactivates, his eyes become amber and his pupils return to normal size.

He held his hand, "Happened again. Why can't this damn mode just disappear?" Back on the Goliath's bridge, the personnel search through the cameras to see where Gryphus 1 went.

They get their answer when the elevator door opens and a knife comes out, embedding itself in one of the bridge operator's skull. Gryphus 1 steps out and makes his way forward, his pray not budging an inch. The glowing red vein marks and eyes are visible through his armored g-suit and helmet. The remaining bridge operators search for a way out but Gryphus 1 doesn't allow them throwing his discs the unmistakable sound of bones breaking echo through the bridge.

Gryphus 1 said, **"I have waited two years to get my hands on you, punk. The jaws of death could not devour me, the original Gleipnir could not defeat me, your precious Fenrir felt my wrath. Nothing you sent my way could stop me. Diego Navarro, your sins have finally caught up to you!"** The said man didn't respond and the Aurelian continued with sadism, **"How should I end your life? Tear your limbs off one by one? Rip a leg off and beat you over the head with it? Turn you into fish bait? So many choices but you only die once."**

Diego Navarro answered, "Do you know the humiliation you inflicted on me when I fled Leasath after the truth reason behind the Aurelian War became public?"

Gryphus 1 sneered, **"I can imagine. You son of a bitch, you nearly bombed my hometown off the map! Not only that but you killed my father!"**

Diego Navarro asked, "Who told you?"

The Aurelian replied, **"Francesca did. Why did you do it? What did my father do to you?"**

His sworn enemy said, "That woman couldn't keep her mouth shut. Michelle Masterson was mine yet she didn't acknowledgment me she was more interested in your father. David always got her attention. If I couldn't have her, nobody could. I had some bombers target the oil rig he was stationed at. The mission was a success. It was also the first sign of my invasion of Aurelia."

Gryphus 1 said, **"So you killed my father out of jealousy? Typical. Now you had the nerve to target Meia? You crossed the line."** Diego Navarro pulls out his pistol and empties the entire clip, the bullets merely bounce off the chest plating. He next sees Gryphus 1 undoing the clamps to his helmet then slowly removes it, showing the red vein marks to his prey.

He pointed at his neck, **"Look at these marks, Diego Navarro. They are part of a berserker mode called Onryo Mode, pretty much a side effect of my augmentation surgery. Onryo means vengeful spirit in Japanese fitting name for it, huh? It fits my description well. Since that fateful day, I have been craving to stain my blade with your blood. This is the first level of Onryo Mode the second level is much worse, something Francesca found out. Once I've killed you, the Harvest leader is next. Even if I don't destroy the Earth someone else will do it for me, if it's destroyed other inhabited planets can thrive without fear of being harvested. No more talking. Come, Diego Navarro, feel my fury."** Putting the helmet back on, he slowly draws his blade.

He enters a different fighting stance with the katana held in a two-handed grip, pointed downward 45 degrees, the dominant foot was placed forward slightly bent while the left foot was held back. He watches Diego Navarro walk over to the bridge console and press a red button, the cover slides open and twin swords emerge. He draws the katanas and holds them at his sides.

Gryphus 1 ordered, **"Let's play, asshole."** Diego Navarro charges at him, leaping into the air and comes down hard though Gryphus 1 blocks it with no strain. The former commanding officer of Leasath swings the main blade toward his head but Gryphus 1 parries it then grabs the off-hand in his right one and throws him to the walkway leading to the bridge.

The Aurelian gathers power into his legs and jumps quickly closing the distance and lands in front of Navarro. He prepares to finish the fight when Diego Navarro suddenly drives his second katana into Gryphus 1's side causing him to grunt and slowly raises his head to lock eyes with his enemy. A look of shock forms on Navarro's face after seeing the attack not having the result he was hoping for and Gryphus 1 head butts him, Diego Navarro loses his grip on the second blade when he falls down and Gryphus 1 pulls the weapon out of his side before tossing it. Thankfully the sword didn't hit any vital areas

Diego Navarro retrieves the second katana then brings the blades together to form an X to keep Gryphus 1's katana from cleaving him vertically down, the Aurelian kicks him in the chest sending the man off his feet.

Gryphus 1 taunted, **"Your fighting style is amateurish, unrefined."** Navarro charges at him, placing him in a blade lock Gryphus 1 suddenly kicks him in the privates then wraps his right hand around Navarro's throat.

Eyeing a control console nearby, he chokeslams Navarro through it, the Leasthan arches his back in pain and rolls off, he quickly rolls away to avoid the stab meant for his arm. Navarro feels his flesh being cut and lowers his head to see a nasty gash on his chest. Enraged by the sight of his own blood, Navarro brings both katanas up for an overhead chop but Gryphus 1 brings his up to block them with ease then leaves nasty cuts on Navarro's left thigh and stomach via wrist blades. He next throws a vicious backhand that sends the fool flying to the side, Navarro gets back up and runs at Gryphus 1 the Aurelian's experience with close-range combat shows itself as he parries each one of his opponent's strikes then grips the off-hand, wrestling the katana out of Navarro's hand. The older man ducks to avoid getting his head cut off but leaves himself open for a right hook.

'Is Nemesis toying with me?' He thought.

Gryphus 1 grabs the second katana and snaps it in half before tossing it aside.

Now armed with only a single blade, Navarro attempts to do a different approach because it's obvious that Gryphus 1 is blocking each of his moves. Then he sees it, picking up on the demonic helmet. If that is gone the Aurelian's head will be left vulnerable.

Reaching into his belt, he pulls out a new grenade his scientists worked on, it contained the dangerous hydrochloric acid. Pulling the pin he throws the grenade at Gryphus 1 but then a black aura intercepts the grenade, disintegrating it upon contact leaving the 20-year old unharmed. Freaked out by this, Diego Navarro turns tail and runs for the elevator.

Gryphus 1 watched him with amusement, **"Run all you like it won't save you."** He heard the communicator in his helmet beep a second time and answered, **"What now?"**

Mia said, _"The enemy force that attacked the Dreads is no more. Amarone just informed me that the boarding party on the Nirvana is nearly wiped out."_

Gryphus 1 grinned demonically, **"Good work, Mia. Seems I don't have to deal with you since Meia wasn't shot down. I'm currently engaging Diego Navarro so don't interrupt me again or I will change my mind. Do you understand?"**

Mia responded with a hint of fear,_ "Of course, sir." _Typing on the main computer Gryphus 1 discovers his prey went to one of the lower floors. Stepping into the elevator he presses the fifth floor and the doors close. The elevator moves downward.

Back on the Nirvana, Crux was dealing with an average sized man wearing a black, red trimmed armored suit. From what Crux can see, the man was built for speed and agility and was about 22 years old. His weapon of choice were claws attached to his wrists.

The claws were certainly deadly seeing as how it inflicted wounds on Crux. Despite this, the young man held his own against the more agile opponent, remembering Gryphus 1 stating that agility isn't necessarily needed to counter agility. Instead he should remain stationary so that the opponent will tire himself out then score the death blow.

He spots the enemy, code named Shade catapult himself forward, left wrist blade poised to strike his arm Crux backs away so that the weapon scrapes the floor. Crux retaliates kicking Shade in his protected face. Shadow stands up and Crux gets behind with a burst of speed to execute the German suplex disorientating the opponent. Grabbing his knife, he stands ready to engage Black Shadow.

The two race toward each other and parry the other's attack, sparks fly from the impacts then Shade's left blade slashes Crux on his chest the Aurelian covers the area out of reflex. Shrugging off the burning sensation, Crux gets behind Shade and executes a series of German suplexes meant to disorientate his adversary even though the helmet/mask takes the brunt of the impact.

Swiftly pulling away from a sudden slash that would have ruined his face he charges throwing punches into Shade's stomach, the challenger suddenly vanishes from sight and the next thing Crux feels is Shade driving his wrist blades across the slightly older man's back in an X pattern, Crux screams at the pain. Hunched over and wincing from attack, the Aurelian leaves himself open to a hard kick to the chest that more than likely cracked some ribs. Getting up his instincts tell him to raise his arms to block an incoming attack Shade's left wrist blade connects with his crossed arms cutting into the flesh on his right one. Pushing the challenger off, Crux draws his knife and takes the enemy by surprise with a burst of speed and stabs him in the shoulder using the momentum to send both of them onto the floor. The gray-eyed fighter realized Shade only wore minimal armor to prevent his agility being comprised.

Crux's vision started becoming blurry as the effects of shock and blood loss show, shaking his head to restore his vision he spots Shade closing the distance, both wrist blades thrust downward forcing him to raise his left arm to block them. He counters, stabbing Shade in the thigh, slashes his throat then finishes it by stabbing him in the side of the neck severing a major artery. Shade chokes on his own blood as he falls onto his back.

Exhausted by the ordeal, the victor struggles to stay on his feet but his legs give out. The last thing he sees through his blurry vision is a mane of blonde hair catching him, telling him he was going to be alright. The person then asks some crew members for help.

On the bridge, Celtic informed, "Captain, the enemy boarding party is no more. The ship is secured."

Magno sighed in relief, "Thank god."

BC asked, "Where's Gryphus 1?"

Belvedere replied, "Still on the Goliath."

BC wondered, "Why is he still there?"

Magno provided the answer, "His other personal demon is on board that behemoth. He won't come back until Navarro is dead." On the Goliath, the said man cautiously ventures through the fifth floor which turns out to be a wide server area, given by the huge computer servers present. He barely manages to avoid an overhead chop courtesy of Gryphus 1.

'Did he arrive before me?' Navarro thought since he didn't hear him come out of the elevator.

Gryphus 1 hammers at his defense even though Navarro had the height advantage. The dark-eyed man screams in pain when Gryphus 1 shoots him in the shoulder with his pistol and takes his feet out from under him. He next stabs Navarro in the side with his wrist blades then kicks him away.

The Aurelian taunted, **"Is this the best you can do? The man who orchestrated the Aurelian War being outclassed by the hero that drove your forces out of his country. How pitiful does that feel? Let me ask you something. Have you experienced fear?"** He willingly gives himself over to the Onryo Mode level 2.

The pressure given off by the black aura doubles. Diego Navarro finds himself gasping for breath. Using sheer willpower, he brings a hand to his belt pulling out a syringe filled with a cyan liquid.

Gryphus 1 watches his foe pierce his arm with the needle before injecting the liquid into his bloodstream then tosses the now empty syringe. Moments later, Navarro felt his strength increase allowing him to withstand the pressure more easily.

Charging at the Aurelian with a battle cry he bring his katana to bear, Gryphus 1 blocks it his augmented strength allowing him to keep the enemy blade in check. Grabbing an arm, Gryphus 1 brutally slams his opponent into a nearby computer server then seeks to impale Navarro to it but the man sidesteps, the katana penetrates the thin layer and electricity surges out electrocuting Gryphus 1 until he's sent flying back. Besides the effect of his muscles twitching the systems in his helmet were shorted out due to the electrical overload. He raises his shaky arms to the clamps and undoes them enabling him to remove his helmet.

The shaking in his muscles end and he gets up. He directs his gaze upward to spot Navarro holding a computer server from the upper floor.

He stated, "Try dodging this, Nemesis." After that he throws the server at Gryphus 1, the 20-year old cocks his fist and punches the force behind it shatters the instrument into smaller pieces before the Onryo Mode aura picks them up and throws them at Navarro as deadly projectiles. The man couldn't dodge all of them and screams in pain when they pierce his flesh.

Gryphus 1 retrieves his katana and jumps onto the second floor. Navarro drives his blade into Gryphus 1's left thigh to his shock the Aurelian pulls the blade out and the wound closes almost immediately. Gryphus 1 slashes his prey across the face with the wrist blades and relishes in the man's scream of agony.

Gryphus 1 chuckled, **"Scream for me, fool."** He kicks Diego Navarro square in the chest sending him crashing through another computer server, Navarro barely avoids the fist that would've went through his chest had he not moved. The man retaliates, slicing off Gryphus 1's left hand though it did not hurt due to it being artificial. Unfazed by this, Gryphus 1 counterattacks savagely buries his boot into Navarro's chest breaking a few ribs.

A sadistic smile forms on the Aurelian's face enjoying the agony being inflicted on his opponent.

Fighting through the pain, Diego Navarro reaches for the server near him and types on it. An alarm sounds throughout the Goliath.

The PA system announced, _"Self-destruct sequence initiated. Ship will explode in 10 minutes."_ A grin forms on Navarro's face if he was gonna die he'll take Nemesis with him.

He turns around to see a balled fist connect with his jaw, knocking him down followed by a vicious kick that almost broke his neck. Gryphus 1 picks him up slamming his face into Navarro's then against the server before being tossed into the server. He next screams in sheer agony when he feels the left femur being shattered.

Gryphus 1 said, **"So you can't maintain that superhuman strength for long. I'm guessing that serum you injected wasn't stable."** He grabbed Navarro's intact right leg tightly **"You underestimated me."** With that Gryphus 1 proceeds to brutally slam his personal demon left and right 15 times breaking more bones. When the slamming stops, Diego Navarro stares into the soulless eyes of Nemesis.

He begged, "Please, stop. No more."

Gryphus 1 mocked, **"Look at you. Laying on your back with no means to stand, this is what fear feels like. I enjoy seeing the look of fear on my enemies moments before I end their lives. I accept what I am, what I always have been on the inside. I am a monster! If Earth sees me as such, let them it makes their deaths much sweeter. I will prove it to the Harvest leader."**

The PA system alerted, _"Goliath self-destruct 5 minutes and counting."_

Gryphus 1 said, **"It's been fun, prick. It's time for you to die but how? Decisions, decisions."** He grinned demonically,** "Oh, I know how."** Grabbing the man's skull, he lifts Navarro as high off the ground as he can while the black aura scorches the victim's skin. Gryphus 1 amplifies the aura's potency and Diego Navarro screams in total agony feeling himself literally being cooked from the inside-out. Steam starts radiating off his entire body.

In mere moments Navarro fell to the ground in a pile of ash, not even his skeleton was spared.

Spitting at the ash, Gryphus 1 retrieves his helmet and dashes to the elevator selecting the hanger floor.

From the Nirvana's bridge, the crew see the final Gleipnir class airborne fortress explode. They fear the worst thinking their comrade didn't make it out in time. That changes when they see Fenrir emerging from the fireball which indicated he made it out mere seconds before the explosion.

Gryphus 1 sets the plane on autopilot while the Onryo Mode deactivates.

The rest of the day is spent cleaning the interior of the ship, jettisoning dead bodies of the enemy boarding party out of the air lock, etc. The night that follows sees everyone in their quarters exhausted.

Kyle grits his teeth as tears form in his eyes the 2 personal demons who plagued his life are no more.

He said to himself, "Mom, Dad, sisters, you have been avenged."

Meia held him, "Do you now feel the closure you sought after?" Kyle buries his face in her bare chest as he lets out the anguish he locked up.

He cries for 15 minutes then passes out from it.

A/N: First chapter of 2016 done at last. Took me a while to finish this one. The title speaks for itself.

Chang got his revenge on the higher-up who set him up.

Catherine and Mori faced their own tough opponent but their close-range combat skills allowed them to come out victorious.

Eugene faced a fast opponent that left horrible cuts on him but he still pulled through.

Alex's obsession on discovering Aurelia's fate drove him mad.

It seems the first time the Onryo Mode possessed Kyle left Mia with nightmares about it and developed a level of fear of the Aurelian.

Lastly Kyle reverted to his old self, willingly gave himself over to the Onryo Mode pretty much slaughtering the entire crew of the Goliath without mercy including Diego Navarro. He also found out about the super soldier program the Gray Men were developing. It initially started out to find a way of extending a person's lifespan and truly reverse the effects of aging. Over time, the project became more sinister culminating in the pursuit of immortality. Though the project came to a halt due to lack of funding and the conclusion of the Belkan War. However, the project was resumed thanks to the descendants of the Gray Men. The end result is Kyle becoming the first successful subject to receive biological augmentation and Alex was destined to undergo the same procedure but their disappearance ironically saved them.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 16.

Vader 23A


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Ken's Past

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

A new day comes for the Nirvana crew. Inside his room Ken Kitsuragi sleeps soundly in his bed, still exhausted after yesterday's ordeal. The clock alarm goes off prompting him to turn it off, sitting up he yawns and stretches. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes Ken gets out of bed and puts on some workout clothes comprised of a red tank top, black shorts, socks, shoes and fitness gloves.

After grabbing some breakfast, he fills his bottle with water and heads for the gym. Following a warm-up session, he spends the next 30 minutes doing a strenuous workout then finishes it with a 4 mile run on the elliptical machine. After that he stretches. One day he'd do weight lifting and keeping his fighting skills sharp the next day with Chang or Kyle though he keeps coming out the winner.

Returning to his quarters to shower and change into fresh clothes, Ken heads for the hanger to stare at his fighter jet. The Falken was a present from Blaze of the original Razgriz Squadron after the destruction of the SOLG, a military attack satellite. Blaze said the Falken was a sign of respect he had for the Usean.

Recently Ken had begun thinking on what else he could do after retiring from ISAF since he feels there is nothing left to prove. He was labeled the greatest fighter pilot in history and his skills in piloting were unmatched. What's more the PTSD following the Second Usean Continental War and Operation Katina made him question whether to continue flying. At 38 years old now, he was still in his physical prime. He looks at his life.

Flashback

_Ken was born on March 5, 1985 to Brian and Amy Kitsuragi in The Federation of Central Usea or FCU for short located in central Usea. The FCU had hostile relations with Erusea in the 1990s and played a fundamental role in discovering the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid in late 1994. It was also part of the national continental economic alliance between various countries on the Usean continent._

_Both parents were part of the air force with Brian a former bomber pilot and Amy a mechanic. Coincidentally Amy was assigned to the base Brian was stationed at. They started dating in January 1984 and one thing led to another._

_When Ken was of proper age, he was sent to a prestigious university that had the K-12 program where he quickly showed his intelligence passing his tests with 100% scores, the lowest was 85% though it rarely happened. On his 10th birthday, he got a female German Shepard, he loved dogs ever since he and his parents walked past a pet shop and dreamed of having one. Well, his wish came true._

_He stood there mouth gaping open at the present._

_He then walked toward the puppy, "Awe, so cute!" He picked up the adorable canine and the puppy touched his nose making Ken bring the German Shepard closer to rub his face against hers. _

_Over the next couple of years, Ken raised his dog named Cassandra. She was loyal as all dogs are, really social to people, great with kids and protective. Whenever he wasn't at school, Ken was playing with his companion and he hugs Cassandra, the 3-year old dog's tail wiggled in content. He ultimately grew into a handsome young man standing 6'4" tall, weighing around 260 pounds, medium-length hair, tanned skin and toned build._

_His time in school was special to an extent, his athleticism gained the attention of the female student body. Fan girls he remembered hearing on an anime he watched. At the time he was not interested in having a relationship since he wanted to graduate instead of flunking out. He graduated with high marks and at the start of 2002, at the age of 17 he began his fighter pilot training at Allenfort Air Base. For the next year Ken proved to be a natural talent with piloting quickly distinguishing himself from the other nuggets. He also trained himself in CQC only asking weapon experts how to properly wield the knife or some other weapon. During one CQC training session, his eyes turned red and his pupils became tiny dots. However, he didn't notice it until he returned to his quarters. Startled by the reflection he got from the mirror, Ken closed his eyes and to get rid of the bizarre appearance. When he opened again, the irises and pupils were back to normal. Ken's training was complete on April 4, 2003 but he continued honing his CQC skills, eventually challenging other pilots stationed at the air base. The 18-year old came out victorious every time. For the next two months everything was peaceful._

_Suddenly in August 2003, Erusea launched an invasion on Sal Salvacion and took control of the Stonehenge Turret Network built south of the city. The FCU warned Erusea to back out by September 14 or there will be military retaliation. Erusea wasn't deterred and rumors began circulating it was modifying Stonehenge in some way. In preparation for this, the countries of FCU, Delarus, Amber and Ugellas reformed into the Independent States Allied Forces, a military and economic alliance of the Usean continent._

_Shortly afterward the takeover of Stonehenge, Erusea launched a surprise attack on ISAF forces at their newly formed GHQ in Istas Fortress, utilizing Stonehenge as an anti-aircraft weapon for the first time. Caught off guard and unable to maintain air superiority, ISAF was forced to retreat. It attempted to destroy Stonehenge with an air strike but it was thwarted by the Yellow Squadron. At this point ISAF fully retreated all of its forces, relocating its GHQ to North Point._

_On September 19, 2004, after a long period of sporadic fighting, the war escalated. Erusian secret agents destroy ISAF's early warning detection system allowing a large bomber force to deploy from Rigley Air Base, a ISAF facility. Their target was Allenfort Air Base._

_Having received word of this, Ken rushed to his locker to change into his g-suit. Butterflies filled the rookie's stomach, this was his first actual mission. Little did he know this mission would start a sequence of events that would define him. Shaking off the anxiety Ken runs out of the locker room and toward the hanger, putting the helmet on along the way. Hopping into his F-4E Phantom II, he takes off._

_Arriving at the target area, he heard a voice come over the radio, "AWACS here, call sign Skyeye. Do you read? Your call sign will be Mobius 1. We'll refer you by this name at all times. You're now under my command. Six bombers in vector 360 confirmed. Continue north to intercept. Today's my birthday! A victory would be nice."_

_Mobius 1 said, "You'll get one, I guarantee it." Lighting the afterburners, Mobius 1 flies past his wingmen and switches to the AMRAAM._

_Looking directly ahead he spotted Tu-95 Bears and the fighter escort. Gaining 4 locks he fired the missiles scream toward their targets. The airplanes stood no chance. He shot the remaining bombers down with ease, hearing Skyeye praise him._

_The commander of the targeted base, "Skyeye, this is Allenfort. Got visual of the downed bombers. Whose kill was that? Make sure to thank him." The downing of the 5 bombers automatically made Mobius 1 an ace._

_Halo 2 said, "That's a roundup, let's go on home!" This victory gave ISAF a temporary breather._

_One month later, ISAF sent its fighter toward Rigley Air Base to finish off the remaining bombers. The mission went smoothly, Ken wiped them and fighter jets attempting to flee out with ruthless aggression. ISAF next prepared to get all its troops back to North Point but a radar unit atop Mount Shezna was preventing them from doing so. Mobius 1 turned the radar facilities into scrap, blinding the enemy and hiding ISAF troops' movement. When all the troops were gathered, preparations for a counterattack began._

_Erusea responded to these victories by launching the Aegir Fleet rumored to be invincible. The firepower the fleet possessed meant a direct attack was suicidal but attacks from behind the scenes forced the fleet to dock at Comberth Harbor, giving ISAF the perfect opportunity._

_After targeting Erusea's aerial supply route and shooting down large supply aircraft, effectively shutting down the transport route Mobius 1 and his fellow squad mates were ordered to attack a petrochemical plant and offshore oil rig that provided the Aegir Fleet's fuel the intention was reducing the production output to 20% or less._

_None of the targets were spared though ISAF's rising pilot had to resupply occasionally given the number of targets. Despite the mission being a partial failure due to Yellow Squadron shooting down a few ISAF planes, Erusea lost 5 million barrels and the ability to produce 250 thousand barrels of crude oil daily. The Aegir Fleet was now vulnerable._

_On November 29, the remaining ISAF fighters reached Comberth Harbor and split into 2 groups to sink the so-called invincible fleet while they're at anchor. The squadron proved Aegir wasn't invincible sinking every ship including some famous cruisers, destroyers, submarines, one battleship and aircraft carrier._

_A few weeks later, they attacked Erusea's solar power plant located southeast of Faith Park. However, upon mission complete Skyeye said something that would send chills down Ken's spine._

_He said, "Attention all aircraft, incoming from Stonehenge confirmed on radar. Drop below 2,000 feet and head south to exit combat area."_

_Halo 9 asked, "2,000 feet? What do they expect us to do? Go underground?"_

_Viper 11 requested, "Head toward the ravine and terrain mask. Use the crevices. Get low and stay low."_

_Halo 9 responded, "What are you talking about?! It's suicide to fly into that ravine!" Mobius 1 followed the AWACS' advise and dove into the ravine, flying at 900 feet._

_Skyeye said, "4 rounds, ETA in 15 seconds."_

_Mobius 1 stated, "If you guys wanna survive then get into this ravine."_

_The AWACS counted down, "5,4,3,2,1, impact." This is where Mobius 1 witnessed the firepower of Stonehenge, watching in horror as the rounds wiped out his squad mates._

_This continued for another 3 rounds before he made it out of the combat area. He landed at the airbase, climbed out of his fighter and sat alone in the locker room. There he shed tears of regret, feeling powerless to help the men lost to Stonehenge's attack. But what other choice did he have? If he didn't stay in the ravine he would have been shot down as well._

_Ken made a vow to destroy Stonehenge when the opportunity presented itself. Replacement pilots took the deceased Usean pilots' place and call sign._

_On December 31, 2004 a military satellite was going to be launched from the Riass Space Center located on the Comona Islands with the goal of tracking Erusea's troop movement and determine the best method of counterattack. A large-scale air battle was expected._

_Now flying his trademark F-22 Raptor, Mobius along with his fellow pilots arrived at the base and could see it engaging the enemy fighters. Yellow Squadron was even there._

_The commander of the space center informed, "Attention all aircraft, this is Comona Base. This rocket launch is critical. Maintain air superiority until launch is complete." Here Mobius 1 would prove he was a dangerous pilot to the enemy._

_Chasing after a MiG-29, Mobius 1 waits for a missile lock and fires when he gains it. The heat-seeking missile follows the Fulcrum's heat signature turning the fighter jet into scrap metal. Hearing the missile warning he breaks left to shake off the missile then retaliates with a heat-seeker on the F-14 responsible for the attack. The missile warning goes off again this time 2 radar-guided missiles were approaching from both sides, Mobius 1 dives releasing chaff to disrupt the missiles' radar-guidance system. Turning around, he fires 2 advanced medium-range air to air missiles at the pair of MiG-31 Foxhounds. Gazing at the HUD he spots a F-15 Eagle coming at him from dead ahead. He meets the enemy pilot head-on and fires the M61A2 Vulcan Gatling cannon, ripping tearing the fighter jet's air frame to shreds._

_He heard the Comona Base commander say, "Attention all personnel, complete final launch checks immediately." Mobius 1 hears the lock on warning and breaks right to shake off the lock then responds with shooting down the MiG-17. Spotting an enemy fighter targeting one of the nuggets, Mobius 1 heads for that direction. He fires a heat-seeking missile sending the enemy fighter to its fiery doom._

_The Usea told the rookie, "Watch your back, kid. There is more fighters in this dogfight than you know." The rocket launch reached T-minus 6 minutes._

_He watched his squad mates continue being killed by Yellow Squadron and decided he had enough and targets the nearest one. Gaining a missile lock he shoots, the AMRAAM scores a direct hit on the Su-37._

_An allied pilot said, "A Yellow Squadron's plane is trailing smoke. Whose kills is that?"_

_The enemy flight lead, Yellow 13 ordered, "Who was it that shot me? See who's responsible for that shot!"_

_An Erusian pilot answered, "It's a ribbon." After getting hit by Mobius 1's missile, Yellow 13 ordered his squad to pull out, looking over his shoulder to see the dogfight still going on he was impressed by the young Usean's flying. He believes he found a potentially worthy opponent should he stay alive just a while longer._

_With Yellow Squadron out of the picture, Mobius 1 returns his attention to the fighters over the Riass Space Center, his amber eyes filled with burning desire to keep the Erusian bastards from stopping the launch. The number of kills continued to grow as time passed. The rocket launched was now T-minus 4 minutes._

_All of a sudden Skyeye alerted, "Attention all aircraft, B-2 bombers are closing in. Intercept them before they reach the launch site."_

_Halo 9 said, "Negative. I'm not picking them up on radar."_

_Skyeye replied, "Look harder! The B-2's are difficult to detect on radar, they're stealth." The F-22's afterburners propels the stealth fighter to the enemy bombers and quickly downs them. With that he returns his attention to the enemy fighters._

_The rocket launch reaches T-minus 60 seconds._

_Approaching the base, Mobius 1 resumes unleashing his rage on the Erusian fighters._

_Lining up behind an F-14, he fires the AMRAAM on it. His instincts tell him to break left to avoid an incoming missile, coming around Mobius 1 shoots the Vulcan Gatling cannon at the MiG-21. The enemy pilot has enough time to scream before his life is extinguished. The Usean's eyes turn red and his pupils dilate becoming tiny dots._

_The Comona Base commander alerted, "Final checks complete. Initiate launch sequence. All allied aircraft must leave the area." The timer reached the final seconds, "10,9,8,7,6...start ignition." The boosters lit up, "4,3,2,1, launch!" The clamps holding the rocket in place detach and the vehicle starts climbing._

_One ISAF pilot said, "Whoa."_

_The Comona Base commander informed, "The rocket has reached 40,000 feet, it is now immune to enemy attack." The pilots cheer at the success of the mission. Now they were ready to kick Erusea out of the mainland._

_The first mission of the counterattack was Operation: Bunker Shot. The intention was to land ground troops on Caranda, Halle and Crowne Beach located in southern Usea. They were the only suitable locations not in Stonehenge's range of attack. The ground troops faced opposition but ISAF fighters provided close air support for all 3 landing sites. Pillboxes, attack helicopters, fighters jets, tanks, no Erusian unit was safe. Just when the mission was complete, Erusea sent A-10s to annihilate the ground forces but Mobius 1 downed each one. With this victory, ISAF established a beachhead in preparation to attack Stonehenge._

_The next mission involved kicking Erusea out of Istas Fortress, the GHQ they captured at the beginning of their invasion. Mobius 1 was able to inflict serious damage on the submarine base, VTOL bases and air base. His next sortie was protecting civil aircraft full of engineers that built Stonehenge as well as their families seeking asylum in Usea. HQ only sent Mobius 1. They offer to exchange information if they reached Usean territory._

_Upon reaching the area of operations, his AWACS said, "Air Ixiom, this is Skyeye. Please describe the situation."_

_One of the civilian aircraft informed, "Air Ixiom Flight 702 here, Erusian aircraft are closing in on us at 23,000 feet. Please hurry."_

_The second flight added, "Flight 701 here, we were shot on takeoff and our captain's injured! This is first officer Nagese (Not the one from Ace Combat 5)!"_

_Skyeye answered, "10-4, an escort is inbound. Both aircraft maintain your course." Mobius 1 lights the afterburners and heads for Air Ixiom flight 702, the civilian aircraft sustains a missile from an F/A-18. Angered by this, Mobius 1 gets on the fighter's 6 o'clock and fires a heat-seeker. The missile follows the plane's IR signature and rips it apart on contact._

_Skyeye alerted, "Mobius 1, another bandit is closing in on flight 701 at 6,000 feet. Flight 701, can you raise altitude? This will assist the ISAF fighter."_

_First officer Nagese replied, "Negative we can't maintain cabin pressure if we climb." Turns out there was two F-14s targeting Air Ixiom Flight 701._

_Mobius 1 fires the F-22's Vulcan Gatling cannon to get the enemy fighters away from the civilian aircraft. After downing the Tomcats, Skyeye alerted him that multiple fighters are closing in on Flight 702 at 23,000 feet._

_'When will these Erusian assholes realize this is futile?' The Usean mentally asked himself._

_He eventually shot down all enemy fighters._

_His AWACS stated, "Mobius 1, both aircraft have exited the combat area safely. There were no losses, the mission was a success."_

_First officer Nagese said in relief, "Skyeye, this is Flight 701. All passengers and crew are safe. Please thank the fighter."_

_Mobius 1 responded, "You're welcome, first officer. What Erusea did was low. Usea will welcome you with open arms."_

_The woman said, "Thank you, sir. Oh, what's your name?"_

_The Usean replied, "Mobius 1." Like he promised Usea welcomed the crew of both Air Ixiom flights with open arms and the engineers gave ISAF valuable information._

_March 25, 2005 was a date Ken would remember. The mission objective was destroying Stonehenge, the weapon responsible for the loss of so many ISAF pilots, some Ken knew from his pilot training days._

_Selecting the laser guided bombs, he took off in his F-22. After completing mid-air refueling, the squadron arrives at the target area._

_Skyeye informed, "Stonehenge is responsible for the loss of many aces. We're in need of new heroes. Be sure to make it back in one piece."_

_Halo 9, "Incoming from Stonehenge! All aircraft descend to lower altitude." The fighters dropped below 2,000 feet and watched the cannon shells scream towards them and disperse in a loud shock wave. When the attack ended, the pilots race to the railguns. Once there, Mobius 1 and his wingmen take in the size of the guns that have thwarted so many air strikes on it._

_Suddenly the lock-on symbols turned into X marks which meant only one thing: Jamming._

_Locating the device in the center of the complex, Mobius 1 fires the F-22's Vulcan Gatling cannon. Lethal 20mm bullets tear through the jamming device's outer shell. It's not long before the jamming facility was destroyed and radar came back online. Selecting the laser guided bombs, Mobius 1 switches attention to the railguns._

_Going for the nearest turret, he gains a lock and releases the bomb. The guidance system propels the bomb forward and detonates on impact, the barrel of the turret slams to the ground. Six targets remained._

_Dodging a missile launched from a SAM, Mobius 1 takes care of it with a missile then resumes the mission. Climbing and swinging around, he lines his stealth fighter with the next turret and drops the laser guided bomb, the weapon travels down the barrel and explodes, taking half of the turret with it._

_Halo 10 encouraged, "Go for it, Mobius 1. Take it out!"_

_AWACS Skyeye informed, "Five targets remaining."_

_After the destruction of the fifth railgun, an enemy pilot barked, "Shoot down that ribbon!" Four Stonehenge railguns remained. Not letting up, Mobius 1 annihilated the next three until only one was left._

_Rapier 8 said, "Look at him go, he's grabbing all the glory."_

_Skyeye stated, "This is the last one."_

_'And with it, the threat of Erusea reclaiming lost ground.' Mobius 1 thought._

_Arming the last bomb, he approaches from the side and releases the bomb. The weapon scores a direct hit and the railguns were no more._

_Halo 9 said, "Target destroyed! I repeat, Mobius 1 has destroyed the target." A chorus of cheers erupted on the radio._

_Their AWACS said, "Skyeye here. We confirmed via radar that Stonehenge was destroyed. But it looks like we got company. Five bandits coming in at Mach 2. Not to worry, our aces are faster than they are. You're all cleared to engage." Mobius 1 knows only one squadron would show up to protect the cannons: Yellow Squadron._

_Eyes narrowed, Mobius 1 firewalls the throttle with full intent on getting even with the Yellows. He dives into the enemy formation and goes after the closest Su-37 but then hears the missile warning. He jinks hard right releasing chaff to jam the missile's radar-guidance system. He retaliates with a missile of his own and watches the targeted Su-37 shake off his missile, the missile alert sounds again and Mobius 1 takes evasive action. As soon as he shakes off that missile another is fired but Mobius 1's improved skills prevail because the missile couldn't keep up and spins before exploding, impressing the enemy squadron leader. Mobius 1 finds himself weaving through a rain of missiles and one Yellow barely avoids running into him. After evading an enemy missile, Mobius 1 lines up his fighter jet with an Su-37 and waits for the missile lock._

_Once he obtained it, he called out, "Got tone. Mobius 1, Fox Two!" The sidewinder follows the Su-37's IR signature and hits it right in the center of its back. The Usean watches the Yellow fall from the sky."_

_The enemy squadron leader said, "Eject, Yellow 4." When he got no reply, he asked, "Yellow 13 here. Did anyone see 4 get out?" Feeling that retreat was the best option for them, the Yellows evacuate._

_Skyeye informed, "Mobius 1, the other aircraft are withdrawing. That's a confirmed kill on a Yellow! It's a complete victory for the good guys." Returning to base, Mobius 1 brings his F-22 to its hanger and wind down the engines. Leaning back in the seat, he lets out a big sign of relief. A great burden was removed from Usea's shoulders. Following the destruction of Stonehenge the 19-year old became famous earning him the nickname the "Grim Reaper"._

_After another successful rescue mission, ISAF's U-2 revealed to them Erusea was planning on using Megalith, another weapon used to shoot down the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid, to replace Stonehenge. The tide of battle turned against Erusea ever since Stonehenge was destroyed. ISAF reclaimed more ground with each victory including liberating the city of Sal Salvacion. Erusea made its last stand when ISAF invaded Farbanti, Erusea's capital. Resistance was futile because Mobius led his squadron to victory and then received a mission update._

_Skyeye alerted, "Mobius 1, multiple fighters are approaching. It's the Yellow Squadron! Let's settle this once and for all, leave the rest to the ground troops." Seeing the Erusian fighters appear on his radar, Mobius 1 dons a serious facial expression. He somehow knew this would be their final encounter._

_The Usean pops his neck before igniting the afterburners._

_The 4 Yellows close in on Mobius 1 and the young man looks at the radar to see one of the Yellows get on his 6 o'clock. The missile warning sounds and Mobius 1 breaks hard left, popping flares to shake the heat-seeker off. Completing a somersault, Mobius 1 arms a Sidewinder and fires. The missile hits Yellow 3's airplane blowing it to pieces. Yellow 5 went down seconds later followed by Yellow 8. Yellow 13 watches his wingmen being cut down one after the other now realizing why Mobius 1 was called the Grim Reaper. Soon it was only Mobius 1 and himself._

_Mobius 1 breaks hard left to line up with the Su-37. He fires a heat-seeker and Yellow 13 pops flares to direct the missile away. Executing a dive and 180 degree turn, Yellow 13 retaliates with the Su-37's cannon, the F-22 Raptor barrel rolls and leads the Erusian ace toward the ocean. He hears the missile alert but continues the dive and when he's just 200 feet above the water, he pulls the joystick back sharply bringing the stealth fighter into a climb with the afterburners on. The heat-seeking missile hits the water detonating on impact. Yellow 13 performs the same maneuver and readies another missile when the F-22 jinks hard right and fires the M61A2 Vulcan Gatling cannon. The Su-37 takes evasive action and the 20mm bullets scream past the canopy._

_Mobius 1's fellow pilots watch the two men duke it out in a test of skill._

_Yellow 13 barely dodges a missile and seeks to retaliate but his opponent breaks the missile lock then fires the Vulcan Gatling cannon, tearing a few holes in the Su-37's frame. Sweat runs down the Erusian's face at how much his opponent's skills have improved. Mobius 1 pursues the Yellow relentlessly. The endless sound of missile alerts put fear the man's heart for the first time. Arming the last Sidewinder, Mobius 1 makes it count. He mirrors the enemy's maneuvers and gains a lock, firing the missile. Yellow 13 pops flares to direct the Sidewinder away. However, Mobius 1 quickly switches to the AMRAAM and fires. The Erusian pilot didn't have enough time to react the missile hits the Su-37's back blowing the enemy fighter apart. Burning debris fall into the ocean._

_Seeing no point to continue Erusea surrendered, ending the Second Usean Continental War. However, some Erusian military officers refused to surrender and took control of Megalith with no doubt planning to attack Usea with its missiles one week later on September 26, 2005._

_Ken was given a fighter squadron of his own and moved out to destroy Megalith. Upon arrival, he wiped out the remnants of Yellow Squadron which was comprised of rookies. When they were shot down, Mobius 1 destroyed three generators, flying through vents to reach the first two and other outside the exhaust vents._

_The vents opened up to reveal missiles. These didn't pose much of a threat but then Bravo team, a friendly ground unit, opened the door to the central vent allowing Mobius 1 to fly in and destroy the large missile housed inside. He escapes through the open roof vent just before explosions begin tearing Megalith apart._

_AWACS Skyeye exclaimed, "Target destroyed! There he is! We got Mobius 1 on radar!"_

_The leader of Bravo team asked, "Bravo 1 here. That plane that just flew in, is it alright?"_

_Skyeye answered, "Yes, he's fine. I've got visual on him right now."_

_Mobius 2 asked, "So, did we win the war?"_

_Mobius 3 said, "Don't know. History determines the winner. But there's one thing I can say for certain. Heroes really do exist. We've just saw one and now he's coming home." Mission complete, Mobius 1 returns to base while the insertion team board the boat they used to reach Megalith. The boat soon reaches an Usean destroyer._

_Later that day, a massive party was thrown at Allenfort Air Base and some of the ISAF pilots dump water onto Ken as part of a soaking. Without him, Usea would have been under complete Erusian control. Ken went from a rookie to a formidable ace in less than 12 months and would later become a legend. His skills were later evaluated to be that of an entire fighter squadron! This, combined with his perfect track record of not being shot down while in a sortie made him become an inspiration for future pilots._

_A journalist from the Usean Press was able to fight her through the crowd to interview the Usean. Ken answered the journalist's questions with casualness._

_The journalist asked one last question, "Now that you kicked Erusea's ass, what will you do now?"_

_Ken replied, "Enjoy a well-deserved vacation." He started heading for the exit then halfway to stare into the camera, "Hail to the King, baby." Sadly his vacation was put on temporary hold when sometime in 2006, a group of Erusian officers and personnel calling themselves Free Erusea raided a warehouse full of weaponry and launched a futile war against Usea. Only AWACS Skyeye and Ken volunteered to deal with the threat._

_Ken once again proved why he's called the Grim Reaper, destroying all opposition._

_For the next 10 years he fought with PTSD, attending therapy sessions and purchased a 2 year-old female German Shepard from an animal shelter. He named it Heather. Ken found out that his new companion was a quick learner such as learning how to roll after one training session._

_On April 1, 2006, Ken, now in his 20s, took Heather for a walk around his hometown loving the peaceful atmosphere following the war. They stopped at a park and Ken sat down on the bench while Heather sat next him. Placing the small food box in front of him, Ken removed the lid and pulled out a large water bottle. Unscrewing the cap, he took a sip then poured some on his hand, acting like a drinking fountain for Heather. Placing the lid back on, he sets it down next to him and stared at the park. Ken pulled out a Nature Valley granola bar and took a bite._

_Swallowing he asked his dog, "It feels strange. Not too long ago, this place was occupied by Erusian forces now it's peaceful. Erusea made a big mistake invading Usea, don't you think girl?" Heather stared at him and barked making him smile, "I'm glad you do." He reached down to wrap his arms around the dog's neck._

_A voice said, "This is a sight to behold. The Grim Reaper hugging a dog." Freeing Heather's neck Ken turned halfway to see Halo 2 a.k.a. Gale Hart._

_Gale stood just under six feet tall, about a year older than Ken, had fair skin, blue eyes, short auburn hair and lean build. He wore a black shirt, charcoal gray cargo shorts and blue Nike shoes._

_Heather watched him with caution and Ken saw it, "Easy girl, this man was a wingmen during the war." He rubbed the furry canine's head._

_Gale smiled, "You really love dogs, huh?"_

_Ken nodded, "Yep, since I was a boy. They're great companions and stress relievers."_

_His friend asked, "I'm taking a guess here and say your furry friend is part of coping with PTSD?"_

_The Usean answered, "Yeah. Heather provides comfort whenever I have episodes. I still have nightmares about the war fortunately Heather is there for me."_

_Gale sighed, "Have you ever considered trying pursuing a relationship? Are you going to remain single forever?"_

_Ken replied, "It's still too early. I want to be emotionally stable before pursuing a relationship with someone. Surely you can understand." As the months go by, his PTSD steadily improved and started hanging around his fellow squad mates, hanging out with them including at bars though he stayed away from alcoholic beverages since he never liked them._

_6 years later, he read about the war between Osea and Yuktobania. As he read more into it he discovered the conflict was orchestrated by Belka, a country he learned about in school. He next read about Razgriz Squadron formerly known as Sand Island Squadron who played a crucial role to the war as well as preventing Belka from exacting its revenge on the two countries. They vanished shortly after that. Ken could only assume it was on purpose._

_On November 1, 2010 he received a call from Skyeye that someone sent a fight jet to Allenfort Air Base. Confused he flew to the air base and stepped out of the private jet Usea provided for him. Directly ahead of him stood a fighter jet he never saw before. He next saw the canopy open and out came a fighter pilot wearing a green g-suit._

_Walking down the ladder, the pilot removed his helmet showing the man's identity to Ken._

_He stood around 6 feet tall, somewhere in his late 20s, fair skin, black hair and intense brown eyes._

_The man walked over and extended his hand, "Ken Kitsuragi? Nice to finally meet the Grim Reaper. I'm Blaze, leader of Razgriz Squadron."_

_Ken shook it, "Likewise. How do you know me?"_

_Blaze chuckled, "Who doesn't know you? You're a living legend, Kitsuragi. What fighter pilot has been able to obtain a perfect track record of not ever being shot down during combat? You are both feared and admired by all fighter pilots. You are the reason I joined the Osean Air Force."_

_The Usean asked, "Where are your wingmen?"_

_Blaze answered, "They are hiding from public eye since if word about our survival got out, the Osean military would no doubt come after us for our so-called treason." This caused a frown to form on Ken's face, he didn't know about that. Why would Osea label its best pilots traitors?_

_Ken said, "I'm sure you made whoever framed you pay."_

_Blaze snorted, "I wish. Hamilton was hit by a plane inside a tunnel during the closing days of the war though by that time, Yuktobania restored relationships with Osea."_

_Ken shrugged, "I suppose it's better than having the fool escape. Anyway, we're getting off track. What's the reason behind this call?"_

_Blaze realized, "Ah yes, the reason why I called this meeting is because I have a present for ya." He pointed at the futuristic plane behind him, "This fancy airplane is the ADF-01 Falken. Information about it is scarce but from what I could obtain, it was developed by Grunder Industries and represented an improvement in its advanced fighter program. It's the spiritual successor to the ADFX-01 and ADFX-02 Morgan. Compared to those units, the Falken has improved mobility and stability at the slight expense of defense. It's still a powerful fighter, equipped with high speed and air to air output. Thanks to its angular body, it has limited stealth capabilities, something the Morgan didn't have. The Falken is the first known aircraft to have Connection for Flight Interface otherwise known as COFFIN. You fly this thing with only your thoughts instead of joysticks and controls that traditional aircraft use. Come here, there's something else I wanna show use." He followed the lighter skinned man up the ladder and opened the canopy, "See this cockpit configuration? Unlike normal fighter jets that require you to sit upright, this cockpit design allows you to lay down in a reclined position with your arms and legs extended, similar to relaxing in a recliner. The arm rests have Electro Neuron Synapse Interface sensors that allow you to fly the plane with only your thoughts as I mentioned earlier. Perfect for falling asleep in."_

_Ken whistled, "How did you get it?"_

_The Osean replied, "Had to destroy special hangers during selective missions. I have decided to give you the Falken as a sign of respect. Give it a try in combat you'll be surprised by the results."_

_Ken blinked in surprise, "What? You're giving this to me? I-I don't know what to say?"_

_Blaze chuckled, "Heh, if anyone deserved to have the Falken it's you. My gut told me you are the one most capable of using the Falken to its full capability. Why don't you take it back to a base near your hometown, it has a full tank."_

_The amber-eyed Usean shook Blaze's hand, "Thank you. I promise to take good care of it."_

_Blaze smiled, "I'm sure you will. I better get going, I have exposed my face to the public long enough." Waving good-bye, Blaze boarded the private jet he rented to fly here. The jet finished refueling and lined up with the runway then took off. Directing his gaze back to the Falken, Ken climbed into the cockpit and the canopy closed._

_Laying on the seat, he placed his arms on the rests and the Electro Neuron Synapse Interface activated, locking Ken's thoughts with futuristic jet's system. The engines roared to life and propel the Falken forward and into the sky. He eventually reached an air base 5 miles north of Sal Salvacion. Setting the Falken in an unused hanger, the engines wind down and Ken slid down the ladder next to it._

_If anyone asked him how to rate the ADF-01 out of 5 stars, Ken would give it 10 stars! That presented one problem: His F-22 Raptor._

_It became symbolic of his reputation, having struck fear into his enemies. He decided to donate it to an air museum where the tour guide would tell tourists about his stealth fighter and himself. A few years later he trained all 3 members of Tianlong Squadron plus buying a multi-language version of Rosetta Stone, allowing Ken to learn languages outside of English._

_Ken's 10 years of peace ended on August 30, 2015 when war broke out between Emmeria and Estovakia. He was called by the Emmerian Air Force general after hearing about Ken's contribution during the Second Usean Continental War. Ken initially turned down the request due to him worrying that returning to the battlefield would cause him to have a PTSD relapse. The general added the Emmerian Air Force was sustaining heavy losses due to the constant surprise attacks launched by Estovakia. After contemplating his options Ken agreed to help._

_It was at this time that the 31-year old met his newest student that would ultimately become his greatest, Kyle Masterson._

_Kyle's first day of training involved him conditioning his body, building muscle mass, stamina, etc. Day 2 was Ken beginning Kyle's close-range combat training._

_Kyle stands across the Usean staring into Ken's calm amber eyes while his muscles tense._

_The 15-year old asked, "Are you going to stand there or are you going to attack?"_

_Ken replied, "I should be asking you that, boy. Come at me." Kyle fell for it, charging at him._

_Ken sidesteps Kyle's outstretched his arm and grabs it with both hands to spin Kyle around before releasing him, letting the momentum of the throw send the Aurelian flying before rolling on the flat ground. Ken draws his knife and runs with surprising speed. Kyle gets up and barely spots his teacher coming towards him and barely dodges the knife strikes that manage to rip holes in his shirt. Avoiding the swing meant for his face, Kyle throws a punch but Ken jumps back to avoid being struck then connects Kyle's face with his boot._

_He taunted, "Is that the best you can do?" Kyle charges at him, balling his fist and thrusts his arm out Ken gets behind him and executes the German suplex. Kyle gets up dazed by the impact. He fails to react in time because Ken hits him with the spear._

_He was about to follow it up when Kyle said, "Enough, Ken. I admit defeat."_

_Ken's posture relaxed, "You need to stay alert and be thinking of your next move during combat. Also don't allow arrogance cloud your judgment because that'll prove fate."_

_Kyle said, "Your fighting style is amazing. Who taught you?"_

_The Usean replied, "It's self-taught. Nobody mentored me." Kyle didn't do well against Ken during a mock dogfight. Ken countered every move his student made and obtained a missile lock._

_Kyle expected to hear the missile warning until Ken said, "Bang, you're dead." They both landed at their assigned air base and disembark._

_Kyle noticed his hands shaking, "What was that feeling I had during that mock dogfight? Was it fear? I guess I know why Ken is called the Grim Reaper." Kyle's skills increased each day to the point where he was able to stand toe to toe with him but unable to defeat Ken._

_Their skills combined with Tianlong Squadron helped the Garuda team launch a counterattack on Estovakian forces, culminating in the liberation of the city of Gracemeria then watched Garuda team wipe out Estokvakia's weapon, the Chandelier. Following the cease-fire negotiations after the war, Ken, Tianlong Squadron and Kyle parted ways._

_On March 6, 2021, just after turning 36 years old, Ken was promoting a book he wrote called "A Reaper's Tale" where he talked about his role and opinion about the Second Usean Continental War. When he asked about it by a journalist for the Usean Press, Ken said he wished the war never happened because the end result was the loss of many brave souls. Upon hearing the question about Yellow 4, Ken said he regretted shooting her down because he found she was possibly Yellow 13's lover. Yet at the same time he had no choice it was either him or her. The journalist felt it was a touchy subject and dropped it, much to Ken's relief. The rest interview went by smoothly with the journalist asking what he'll do after his time with ISAF and Ken responded with he was still thinking about it. The journalist shook Ken's hand, thanking him for his time and left._

_Later that day, Ken sat in his condo watching TV when there was a knock on his door. Standing up he walked over to the door and opened it, revealing his first student Chang._

_Ken asked, "What is it, Chang?"_

_Chang said, "It's urgent. May I come in?" Ken stood aside to let the Chinese man in._

_Sitting on the spare couch he said, "Something very wrong is happening far in the future, Ken."_

_The Usean cocked his head, "Really?"_

_Chang nodded, "Yeah. An enemy of unknown origin has been attacking colonized planets." He told him that he was brought to the future, what kind of enemy he faced but didn't know where they originated from, killed in battle and instead of dying he was saved by some unknown entity and returned here in the present time._

_Ken asked, "You want my help, is that it?"_

_Chang replied, "Yes. The enemy has a massive armada at its disposal and won't stop until it completes its objective."_

_Ken looked to the side, "I'm still coming to terms with the horror of the Second Usean Continental War."_

_Chang said, "Please, Ken. This is serious. We need to help Gryphus Squadron!"_

_Ken asked, "How do you know they're in the future?"_

_Chang replied, "It's a gut feeling! Don't how they got transported there but they need our help. Come on, there's no time to lose!"_

_The Usean his eyes for a moment to think before opening them, "Alright. So how do we get there?" Arriving at the air base 5 miles north of Sal Salvacion and took off with Ken piloting the ADF-01 Falken and Chang leading a pair of J-20s. While flying over the ocean, an aqua green light appeared out of nowhere blinding Mobius 1 despite the dark visor of his helmet. The light soon engulfed them._

End of flashback

Sighing Ken concluded this will be his final mission, planning to officially retire from ISAF once it was over.

He said, "I'm sorry I lied to you, Kyle. Phantom Mode activated more than just at the battle of Farbanti."

A/N: Chapter 16 done. Truly sorry about the delay, life decided to be a you know what.

There's not much to say here except this chapter focused on Ken's past, his love for dogs like the German Shepard, the Second Usean Continental War, Operation Katina, the impact he had after the two wars, involvement with the Emmerian-Estovakian war and the coping Ken did during the 10 years of peace.

Lastly Blaze of the original Razgriz Squadron gave Ken the ADF-01 Falken as a sign of respect he had for the Usean.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 17.

Vader 23A


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Birthday Surprise

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Another day begins on the Nirvana.

Meia walks through a set of doors, entering a hallway and crew members back up as she passed them.

One crew member said nervously, "Good day to you, Meia. Thank you for all the hard work."

Another said, "She's coming this way!" Meia stops walking wondering why the crew are acting so weird until it dawns on her.

Meia stated, "Oh, I see. So that's what they're up to." Inside the cafeteria, Dita, Amarone, Paiway, Belvedere, and Mia go over what to do for this special day.

Amarone said, "If she finds out what we're planning then we're screwed." Dita bent over, supporting herself on her right and resting jaw on her right hand, twiddling her finger in thought.

She spotted the Dread leader and gasped, "It's Meia!" Panicking, all five of them jump onto the table, hiding the paper in a circle.

When Meia looked at their direction, Paiway waved at her, "Hi there, nothing to see here." Sighing Meia walks to the coffee maker, grabs a cup and presses the button filling it with the caffeine beverage. Barnette walked out, an apron taking her shoulder pads' place. In one hand was a bowl and the other a beater, mixing something inside the bowl.

She wondered, "Hey Bell, is there anything else you want in the cake? If not, I'll...huh? What's up with you?" She noticed them waving their hands frantically and turned her head to the right, "Meia! Oh, you're here? Ha ha ha, need to loosen up you know? Being all tensed up isn't good for you." She returns to the kitchen while Dita and the others leave to do something.

Meia shakes her head and sits at an empty table where Tianlong Squadron was at. They were halfway done with their breakfast when she sat down.

Chang greeted, "Morning, Meia."

The Dread leader greeted back, "Morning Chang, Mori, Catherine." She spots Mori stealing glances at Catherine with a blush and Meia wonders why she was blushing.

Catherine felt Mori looking at her and grinned in her mind, knowing why. Last night in their room, Catherine introduced Mori to the finer points of making out. Sometime during the lesson, it got heated and they wound up making out on their bed but Catherine regained enough self-control to stop before it went further. That doesn't mean she didn't like not, in fact it was the opposite. She felt a bit of disappointment that Chang didn't join them. Catherine knew Mori loved Chang more than just a friend, she was just too shy to admit it.

Meia spots Chang reading a book about the Colonization Era.

Chang somehow sensed her curiosity and said, "I was intrigued by the Colonization Era so I searched that old storage room for books regarding it and by sheer luck, I found one in excellent shape." A few minutes later, Misty appears holding a tray of food. She too is confused by the crew's odd behavior."

She asked, "What's up with them? They're acting so weird."

Meia provided, "Tomorrow happens to be my 20th birthday."

Misty said, "You think it could be a surprise party?" She noticed Meia's lack of expression, "You don't seem too thrilled about it."

Meia responded, "Birthday parties don't interest me. They are nothing but a waste of time." Hearing Misty giggle she asked, "What?"

The darker-haired woman said, "You look so cute when you are troubled by something." Meia blinks in surprise, obviously not expecting that and takes a sip of Meia with a blush of embarrassment.

Meia asked, "Do you enjoy bombarding me with questions?" Outside of the cafeteria, Dita, Amarone, Belvedere, Paiway and Mia sigh in relief that the Dread leader didn't know what they were up to."

Mia said, "God, that was close."

Hibiki asked them from behind, "What are you girls doing?"

Whipping around, Mia placed a finger up to her lips, "Shut up, you idiot!"

Hibiki asked, "Why?"

Paiway explained to him "You see, we're trying to throw a birthday surprise for Meia because she will be turning 20 tomorrow."

Hibiki cupped his chin, "Ah, like that one time you made that hamburger steak! Could be alright if food is involved." That causes Mia to sweat drop. Is food the only thing this kid thinks about?

Paiway added, "The problem is she always escapes every year we do this."

The Vanguard pilot agreed, "Yeah, there's truth in your words. But surprising her really isn't bad either." He gave them a thumbs-up, "Alright I'll join you in this little mission of yours."

Dita beamed, "Really? You'll help us, Mr. Alien?"

Hibiki sat down, "We need to strike early. First, tell me what happened the last time you did this?"

Paiway said, "When Meia found out what were planning for her previous birthday, she left the Nirvana and we felt upset over the fact we worked so hard to make her stay but that went down the tube. We need to make sure she doesn't escape this time."

Hibiki rubbed his chin, "I know where she'd go first." Entering the hanger, Meia spots the Dreads specifically her own elevated higher than normal.

Spotting Parfet she asked, "Hey Parfet, what's up? I don't remember there being an overhaul of the Dreads."

The lead engineer told her, "We're checking them for any hidden cracks or bugs in the systems. It shouldn't take long to fix the problem." After watching her leave, the browned-haired woman pulled out her communicator, "Parfet here. I've succeeded in stopping Meia from escaping."

Dita said on the other end, "Thank you, Parfet!"

Ending the transmission, Parfet sighed, "I swear this kind of stuff is bad for my health."

Back with Hibiki and the others, the Vanguard pilot hummed, "That's one escape route taken cared of. Where would she go next?"

Duero approached them with amusement in his voice, "Well isn't this interesting, men and women huddled in some secret alliance."

The five blinked and looked at each other before Hibiki said, "Don't jump to conclusions, doc! There's a very good reason for this."

Duero narrowed his visible eye, "Reason?" Meia spots Jura leaning against the wall outside the briefing room.

Meia asked, "What are you doing out here, Jura?"

Jura sighed, "The pilots are discussing a new formation but they won't tell what kind."

The light blue-haired woman's eyes gain a suspicious look, "Funny, because I was thinking up a new formation myself." The blonde-haired Dread pilot knew she was lying to her superior, there isn't an actual formation being discussed. It was more of a ruse to keep Meia from getting anymore suspicious about what the crew is doing.

Jura gave her a sly smile, "Should I call you when they get done?"

Meia grunted slightly, "No need."

Once the Dread leader was out of sight Jura pulled out her communicator, "There, I've done my part but don't drag me into this kind situation again. Got it?"

Dita replied from the infirmary's computer with a nervous tone, "Yes, Jura. Thanks for your help!"

Hibiki wondered, "Okay, escape route number two is blocked off. Where would she go now?"

Dita stated, "Maybe to see the commander or the captain?"

Paiway said through her frog puppet, "That's bad news if she does, ribbit."

Duero offered, "In that case, we'll have to decide Meia's actions for her."

Mia asked him, "But what?" They all hummed until they Pyoro calling Ezra's baby Sarah cute, they pull the curtain open and see the white robot getting the infant trying to sleep. Upon seeing this, an evil smile forms on their faces. They had the perfect plan in mind.

Pyoro said, "I don't like that look they're giving!" From her bridge control console, Ezra gets filled in on they had planned.

She titled her head, "What? Have Meia babysit Sarah?"

Dita nodded, _"It's only until we finish preparations for the party."_

Ezra wondered, "Sure, I don't mind but what does Pyoro think of it?"

Dita smiled sheepishly, "_Oh, don't worry about it. We already talked it over with him and it's okay."_ In the background the gentle bridge bunny can hear Pyoro shouting about not agreeing while Hibiki and Paiway try to keep quiet.

Ezra said, "Pyoro watches her most of the time and may not like it. Alright, I'll ask Meia to do it."

Dita beamed, _"Thank you very much, Ezra!"_ The brown-haired woman ends the transmission.

After listening to the conversation, BC asked, "Ezra. Forgive me if I sound blunt here but hasn't Pyoro been taking care of the baby lately?"

Ezra smiled, "I guess you can say it's become sort of a habit."

The platinum-haired woman said, "I'm not blaming you for anything but are you okay with the way things are?"

Ezra sighed, "The trust is I...don't know the exact way to handle her." BC blinks in surprise. She may not be a parent to a daughter but she can see the conflicting emotions in Ezra's closed eyes. BC feels she needed to do something to help put Ezra at ease.

She calmly ordered, "Come visit the briefing room later. We can talk more privately there."

Ezra nodded, "Okay." Meia exits an elevator and steps out to hear Paiway mumbling something.

Dita noticed the Dread leader, "Where are you going, Meia?"

Meia simply answered, "I'm going to talk to the captain." Fearing that Meia had caught on, the group decides it was time to put their plan into action. They nod to each other.

Dita said, "Oh Meia, it's so troubling! We don't know what to do."

Meia asked, "What do you mean?"

Hibiki barked with a grin, "You can come out now." A sulking Pyoro appears holding Sarah and Dita hands the infant to Meia."

The Dread leader wondered, "What is the meaning of this?"

Dita explained, "Everyone has been so busy we couldn't find to watch Sarah but we realized you can do it, Meia. This is great! Now everyone can go back to work!"

Meia's eyebrow twitched before she cried, "Hold up. There are people a lot better at this than me."

Hibiki taunted, "Oh, I see. Someone who's constantly she can do anything whimpering at the thought of caring for a baby!" He holds a bag full of essentials needed to care for an instant to rub salt in the wound.

Meia shot back, "I'm not whimpering!" Sara starts crying and Hibiki and his cohorts take off, leaving Meia to deal with the baby. She last hears Hibiki telling Pyoro to shut up.

The Dread leader frowned, "I can't believe how well they set me up." Sitting below his J-20 Chang stares at the ceiling thinking about about transpired 2 days ago.

He encountered Minato, the higher-up who set his special forces unit up which resulted in the death of the squad except for him. Since that day, the desire for revenge burned in his heart and 2 days ago, he got his wish because Minato was part of the boarding party. A vicious fight erupted between them and Chang released many years worth of rage on the higher-up. He openly took joy on exacting revenge on Minato and launching those knives into the man's chest was elating in Chang's mind. With the man dead, Chang's quest for revenge was over at last. Now came the part of moving on.

With the help Catherine and Mori Akaboshi, he was learning to go of his anger and finding peace with himself. A rare smile forms on his face, the darkness that plagued him for so long was being lifted with the light of his wingmen. He openly thanked them for that. However, he is still determined to defeat Ken in close-range combat one day.

Inside the dimly lit briefing room, BC stared out the window until she heard the door panel and said, "Enter."

The door slid open to reveal Ezra asking nervously, "You wanted to see me? Did I do something wrong?"

BC assured her, "Not at all. I was just concerned with our talk about the baby. Please, have a seat."

Once she sat in a chair she asked the obvious question, "Is this about Sara?"

BC said, "Not having any experience with being a mother to her child, I don't know what is best. I do know that parents are the most important to a child. There is no manual for the learning and growing process, Ezra. Parents and children bond together, learning through trial and error. Wouldn't you agree?"

Ezra clenched her fists, "But...I'm afraid. If I make mistakes raising her I fear she will turn out to be a bad person. That mere scenario haunts me all the time and I have no one to talk to about it. Someday, when we get back to Mejale and I show Sarah to her Ohma, people may not like me for what I've done." She buries her face in her hands.

BC walked over to the brown-haired woman, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and told her with a smile, "Ezra, you don't have to keep it on your shoulders. That child is not yours alone. She's special because she's the first one born on this ship. In a way she is the daughter to everyone here on the Nirvana. If you're unsure on how to raise her, ask the crew mates for help. They would be more than happy to aid you. Okay?"

Ezra calmed down enough to say, "Alright. Thank you, commander." Inside her room, Meia watches Sarah sleeping before turning her gaze to the music box that had a picture of her parents. Suddenly the baby infant starts crying and Meia stands up, scratching her head on how to stop Sara's crying. She wanders the hallway confused when the Harvesters attack. The Dread leader falls into an escape pod and her shoulder hits the jettison button, catapulting the pod into space.

On the bridge Magno asked, "Where did they come from?"

Belvedere provided the answer, "The enemy was hiding in the gas cloud far ahead of us!" The pilots scramble to their fighters.

Gryphus Squadron takes off first followed by the Dreads, Mobius 1 and Tianlong Squadron.

Fenrir chases a group of cube-types, the said group weaves through gunfire and missile hoping that Gryphus 1 would be caught in it. However, the Aurelian's flying keeps him safe. He waits for the missile lock to turn red, once it does he fires two AMRAAM missiles. The cube-types stand no chance against them, turning into fireballs. As this is going on, Gryphus 1 realizes he couldn't combine his fighter jet with Meia's or Barnette's Dread to form Athena and Ma'at respectively because of Meia disappearing and Barnette in charge of Reg Central so that left him with Venus and Chang'e.

Crux flies his E-3 Sentry II into the heart of cube-types and releases an EMP burst, temporarily disabling them. This allows Gryphus 2 to arm the XLAAM while Crux comes around to ready the AMRAAM. They hear the missile lock tracking the cube-types and hums loudly when it turns red.

They called out, "Fox Three! Fox Three!" The cube-types recover from the EMP burst though it's too late because they get destroyed by the missiles. Flying past each other, the Aurelians gave each other the thumbs-up.

Tianlong Squadron find themselves being chased by Fakedread Dita, Akem Manah and Jikiniki when suddenly Akem Manah vanishes from sight. Chang searches for it keeping on the slightest hint of movement when the enemy reappears in front of him katana raised to slice his J-20 in half. Chang gasps and breaks hard left the enemy's blade missing his fighter jet by mere inches.

He cursed, "Son of a bitch!" Jikiniki follows Mori's flight path and shoots its rifle, the bullets scream past her canopy window one round grazes her plane's left wing. Jikiniki prepares to fire its rifle again when it gets struck in the back with a missile.

Turning around it spots Catherine arming a second missile and fires. The enemy unit simply downs it with the rifle. Catherine changes the angle of her attack, blowing off the enemy's right arm before dodging hard right to avoid being cut in half by Akem Manah.

Chang ordered, "All units, form up. We're taking these junk piles down in one go!" His wingmen form up on both sides and ready the AMRAAM. The Harvest units pull a surprise on them when Akem Manah and Jikiniki release an ominous red aura then a blinding light appears. When it dies down Tianlong Squadron gasps at the sight before them.

The new machine was huge in size, charcoal gray in color, demonic hands, scaly wings poked out of its back, glowing red eyes, dual Gatling guns rested on its right arm, chainsaw for a left arm, missile pods mounted the shoulders and had a dragon-like face completed with tusks sticking out of the cheeks, horns poked out of the forehead and curved backward and spear-tipped tail casually moved from side to side.

Mori said, "What the hell?" She heard the missile warning and yelled, "Evade!" The J-20s break formation as Jikiniki Manah fires the shoulder missiles, the projectiles follow the target no matter where Tianlong Squadron went.

Deciding to try a risky move Chang leads his wingmen into attacking the new Harvest unit head-on. Prior to battle, the Paksis gave the J-20s increased ammo capacity while reducing the missile's size by half granting the J-20s a total number of 95 standard missiles, 90 special weapons and more powerful version of the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 autocannon its predecessor, the J-10 had.

Switching to the ARAAM, the watch as 4 missile locks appear on Jikiniki Manah's arms and face and open fire. The missiles scream toward it and hit home. However, the missiles have no effect Jikiniki Manah as the machine shrugs off the attack and unleashes a bone chilling roar that echoes through the radio.

In retaliation, the monstrosity points its open hand forward and red energy starts collecting in it growing in size rapidly. Once it reaches 4 feet wide, Jikiniki Manah shoots it at Tianlong Squadron who barely dodge it. The beam's light illuminates the J-20s as it went by. The beam continues its journey for about a mile obliterating everything its path before dissipating. The pilots are taken back by the weapon's destructive power. That could have been them had they not avoid it.

Shrugging off the sense of fear Tianlong Squadron resumes attacking Jikiniki Manah, unloading guns and missiles on it. With a speed that betrayed its size, Jikiniki Manah swats the three stealth/multi-role fighters away like pesky insects. The J-20s spin around uncontrollably for who knows how long until the pilots restore control but then discover the engines weren't responding. The pilots attempt to restart them, the engines stutter then die. They try restarting the engines again but they won't start up. Chang sees a giant shadow looming over them and looks up to see Jikiniki Manah aiming its open palm at them and silently asks them if they had any last words. Catherine's response was giving it the double bird, Chang doing the universal sign to screw it and Mori glaring at it with defiance. Just as Jikiniki Manah is about to shoot, its gets hit in the left temple by a yellow-white beam leaving a scorch mark. The giant turns at that direction and spots Amaterasu pointing its twin-barreled plasma rifle.

Inside the cockpit, Gryphus 1 glares at the Harvest unit with pure hatred. Amaterasu charges the plasma rifle to full power and fires, Jikiniki Manah withstands the attack to its face. Raising its left hand, a purplish beam with static electricity outlining forms and strikes Amaterasu, the machine raises its shield to minimize damage but the beam's power overwhelms the shield vaporizing it and causes Amaterasu to defuse into Mia's Dread and Gryphus 1's Fenrir. Both are surprised. They haven't expected anything like this.

He next sees the abomination being cut in half by a sickle, looking behind it he spots Shadow holding its weapon in a downward angle purple eyes glowing brightly. However, the supposedly downed Harvester unit regenerates around the sickle then reaches behind it and rips the weapon out of Shadow's hands. Next it breaks the handle in two before tossing them aside. Shadow calls its destroyed weapon back to it, becoming whole along the way. Grasping the handle in both hands, Shadow twirls the sickle over its head and points its weapon at Jikiniki Manah.

Mobius 1 said, "Gryphus 1, Mia, concentrate your firepower on Jikiniki Manah."

On the Nirvana's bridge, Belvedere alerted, "Captain, there is no sign of Meia or the baby anywhere on the ship! An escape pod has been jettison as well!"

Ezra gasped, "What?"

BC ordered, "Ezra, Misty, head to the radar room! Find that pod!" Inside the escape pod, Meia types on the keyboard.

She groaned, "The emergency distress signal isn't working. Of all things, I wind up in an obsolete escape pod!" She looked at Sarah and smiled, "So innocent. Don't worry, I won't give up. I don't know what Pyoro will say to me after this." Crux dives into the formation of cube-types and releases an electromagnetic pulse, disabling and leaving them open to retaliation from Gryphus 2.

He arms the XLAAM and fires. The missiles move toward the targets and smokes them with ease. Hearing the missile warning he breaks right to shake off a K-13 Atoll heat-seeking missile from a MiG-21. After shaking off the missile, Gryphus 2 fires the F-22's Vulcan Gatling cannon turning the MiG into scrap metal. He and Crux hear the radar warning and and look at the radar to spot a swarm of MiG-29 Fulcrums coming head-on.

Gryphus 2 said, "Bring it on, bitches!" One Dread pilot screams from the enemy's ruthless aggression.

Jura ordered, "Calm down, girls. Remember, we're facing programmed machinery. Study their attack pattern and locate an opening." Barnette flies up to her close friend's Dread.

She said, _"Wow, Jura you've changed! I've never seen you like this!"_

Jura told her, "When I feel like taking command, I do it. I don't want to see anyone else suffer the fate Gascogne had."

Barnette closed her eyes smiling, _"You're right. We are fighting for survival and must have faith in our abilities. Let's go!"_ Shadow parries the chainsaw generating sparks when Tianlong Squadron flies out from behind and open fire. The resulting missiles hit Jikiniki Manah in the chest leaving no damage. However, Mia and Gryphus 1 shoot at its face but no damage is shown. Growling in annoyance, Jikiniki Manah brings its right arm up to fire its duel Gatling guns, the pilots weave through the rain of lead. Coming around they fire another salvo of missiles to the back of the Harvest unit's head. Noticing the missile launching ports on the shoulders opening, Mia and Gryphus 1 wait for the missiles to reload. When they do, the two fire the maximum number of missiles rendering the launching ports inoperable.

Seizing the opportunity Shadow adjusts the angle of its next attack, swinging the sickle diagonally across Jikiniki Manah's chest leaving a gash in the armor plating. The machine's regenerative ability kicks in, healing the wound automatically. Shadow and Jikiniki Manah clash blades and Tianlong Squadron shoots Jikiniki Manah's left eye out. Roaring in pain, Jikiniki Manah fires its electromagnetic laser although the pilots evade. Shadow cuts a deeper wound in the enemy's chest and spots a glowing sphere in the center. Deducing that was the source of the enemy's regenerative ability the pilots concentrate on that area. Jikiniki Manah realizes what its opponents are doing and whacks Shadow away. The gaping hole in the chest starts closing but at a somewhat slower rate making Mobius 1 realize that deeper cuts on Jikiniki Manah's body take longer to heal than surface cuts. With this in mind, the pilots focus their attention on the chest.

Meanwhile, Vandread Dita tries landing shots on a new Harvest vessel that can disappear and re-appear.

Fed up with this, Hibiki let go of the controls and crossed his arms, "Fuck this!" Ezra and Misty continue searching for Sara in the Nirvana's radar room.

Ezra wondered, "Where can you be?"

Misty stated, "The gas clouds are affecting our detection systems. It's like finding a needle in a haystack."

Pyoro cried out, "There may be dozens of stars but there's only one Pyoro 2 and we gotta find her!"

Ezra begged, "Please God, help me find my baby! I promise I'll be a better parent to her!" Seeing this made Misty stare at the computer screen worried about Meia and Sara's wellbeing.

In the escape pod, Meia continued typing on the keyboard, "If I mess with it too much, it throws an even worse fit. It's just like a baby!" She heard Sara cry and turned to look at the infant, scratching her cheek, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to badmouth babies or anything." An alarm caught her attention, gazing at the panel Meia realizes their situation went from bad to worse. She couldn't catch a break, could she?

Vandread Dita continues getting pounded by enemy fire.

Jura asked him, _"What are you doing?! Are you trying to get killed?!"_

Dita replied, "That's easy for you to say!" Magno stares at the battle wondering if Hibiki has some kind of plan.

When the enemy vessel comes in for the kill, Hibiki springs the trap. Vandread Dita grabs hold of the Harvest unit.

Hibiki said, "If you can't push you pull!" The laser cannons deploy and open fire on the target, the enemy's armor sizzles and turns red before exploding.

Magno watched the event from her seat on the Nirvana's bridge, "Now that's something only a man would do."

Misty appeared on a monitor, _"Radar room here. We've detected another wave of enemy reinforcements. We're not the targets however."_

It clicked in Magno's mind, "It's Meia and the baby! They're going after that pod. BC!"

The platinum-haired woman ordered, "Dread teams, head to those coordinates. Secure that pod!" Inside the said vehicle, Meia was resting and experiences a flashback of her parents saying they will always be with her spiritually.

'I was finally able to realize something. My parents watched over me and loved with all of their hearts. So yes, I must cherish the memories of them and pass it on to future generations.' Meia thought as she held a sleeping Sara with a smile while an image of holding her very own child with Kyle briefly crossed her mind.

That smile drops when the pod sends out a warning about the oxygen levels dropping and Meia takes action, grabbing the emergency space suit that came with the pod and places Sara in it.

She promised, "Don't worry, I won't let you die!" The Dreads and others race toward the escape pod hoping to reach it first before the Harvesters do. They mow down any hostile that gets in their way. Some cube-types appear in front of them but the Nirvana fighters weren't having any of that, shooting them down swiftly.

Meia breathes heavily as the air inside the pod gets thinner and thinner while Sara taps on the space suit's visor/mask. The two stare at each other.

The Dread leader promised, "Don't worry, I can buy us some time by staying still." She felt the pod shake and looked out the window to see cube-types surrounding them, "Well that sure didn't take long." She uses her fist to break the glass covering the emergency lever. Meia stares at Sara and promised her that help will arrive soon before pulling the lever, sucking her out of the hatch.

Instead of being in the vacuum of space she finds herself inside the Reg delivery ship as the circlet falls off her face. Vandread Dita and the others arrived in time to save them and mopped up the remaining Harvester units. The pod itself was secured inside the Reg delivery ship's shields while Vandread Dita stands guard.

Barnette apologized, _"Sorry to keep you waiting. Next time give me a heads up before taking off."_

Meia replied with some anger in her voice, "Yes and I'd love to give Parfet a piece of my mind when I find her!" Looking at her front she sees Ezra and Pyoro fighting over who gets to hold Sara until Meia takes the infant into her arms which makes Sara calm down and start giggling.

The Dread leader said with a smile, "Oh, I see. You like me, don't you? Of course you do because we went through our own life or death situation. Heh heh, good girl!" Ezra stares at the sight of Meia holding her daughter with a soft smile.

Pyoro stated the obvious, "She's smiling. That face, it's the most beautiful of them all!"

Meia blinked at them before smiling with a blush, "Thank you." Later that day, Meia exits a door in the hallway after ripping Parfet a new one about lying.

Misty called out, "Dear Sister! Welcome back to the ship, how are you feeling?"

Meia smiled, "Couldn't be better. Thanks for asking, Misty." The red-eyed girl was taken back by the Dread leader's change of attitude but didn't it find bad or anything.

Misty commented, "There's something different about you, Dear Sister."

The Dread leader asked, "You think so?"

Misty nodded, "Yep, you look more wonderful than before."

Meia rolled her eyes, "Oh please. Are you up to something as well?"

Mist shook her head, "Oh no, nothing of the sort." Hiding behind a wall just ahead of the duo, Hibiki and the others prepare to initiate the surprise.

Hibiki whispered, "Ready?"

When the two women approached they popped out of hiding and shouted, "Happy birthday, Meia!"

Seeing the glare the Dread leader was giving her, Paiway asked, "Um Meia, are you okay?" Ken sits on the hanger floor eating a plate of sliced chicken mixed with brown rice with a hint of Cayenne pepper powder to add some heat, side of salad with sliced tomatoes and covered in Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, baby carrots and glass of water.

He watches the engineers repairing his Falken, Kyle's Fenrir and the J-20s of Tianlong Squadron. That Jikiniki Manah they fought earlier was tougher than originally thought. He came dangerously close to being shot down for the first time in his career as a fighter pilot.

The moment he disembarked from the Falken Ken noticed his hands trembling causing him to believe what he felt was fear. This experience reminded Ken that nobody is invincible, not even him.

He takes a sip of water then eats the salad in conjunction with the chicken and brown rice. It doesn't take him long to finish the whole plate. Ken watches the repairs for a little bit longer then exits the hanger.

Later that night, everyone retires to their rooms.

Eugene finds himself in Jura's room and standing near her bed, kissing the blonde-haired woman. Separating from the kiss the two stare at each other, green eyes meeting gray, shining with love. The kiss Eugene gave her back at the battle of Anpathos was more of motivation. This time around, it was full of love and sparked something inside them.

(Lemon time. Anyone 18 or older, read on. Those under 18, turn away now.)

The two kiss each other again with intense passion, Jura moans from the sensation hitting her nerves. She doesn't care what her planet thinks about men, kissing Eugene was right and felt liberating. Soon their tongues join the action intensifying the fire of lust.

Breaking the kiss, Jura sat on the bed extending her hand, "Eugene, come. Make love to me." Eugene obeys her command and leans downs, allowing Jura to wrap her extended arm around the young man's neck and pull him in for another kiss. She rolls them over so that Jura was straddling Eugene and straightens, smiling lovingly at him. Eugene stares at Jura's eyes which seem to enchant him, he next watches her find the clasps holding the sleeves of her black dress. They're removed seductively until her slender arms are bare, Eugene reaches up to caress the silky smooth skin and Jura feels goosebumps forming. She leans forward and pulls the gray shirt Eugene's sporting earlier, showing his ripped chest. A hot blush forms on Jura's cheeks seeing a man's chest for the first time and making the Aurelian smirk.

He asked, "What? Is this the first time you have seen a man shirtless?"

Jura somehow nodded, "Yes. Remember, I come from an all-female planet." Regaining control she cups his cheeks and rubs them, Eugene shivers from the feeling.

The young blonde-haired Dread pilot starts laying kisses on the man's torso starting from his sternum down to his ripped abs. She moans upon feeling Eugene's hands on her clothed breasts, rubbing them in circles.

Straightening again, Jura asked him, "Have you seen a girl naked before?"

Eugene answered, "No."

Jura grinned seductively, "Then get ready for something very few dreamed of seeing!" She brings her hand up and touches the gem on her dress, it flashes for a moment and hidden latches retract and Jura gives a simple shrug, the dress falls off her shoulders and she removes it from her shapely legs tossing it somewhere in the room. Eugene swallows at the sight.

Jura was slender and had curvy hips, her fair skin had no blemishes and glowed with health and her breasts were large and full. Eugene concluded that Jura had the largest out of the Mejale space pirates. The only person that came close to rivaling her bust size was Barnette.

'Wow. That's an impressive rack. Jura, damn!' Eugene thought at the sight of her bosom.

Jura lowers to place her lips on Eugene all the while making sure the man felt her breasts on his chest. Her hand wanders down his body until it reaches the bulge in his underwear. Curiosity fills Jura's mind at what it is. So she pulls the underwear down and Eugene's erection spring out, standing proudly and throbbing. Jura's eyes widen.

The buxom blonde cried, "So this is the tube stuck between a man's legs."

Eugene corrected, "It's called a penis or cock, Jura. Be careful though, it's really sensitive like your vagina."

Jura looked at him, "You certainly know about the human anatomy."

Eugene blushed with embarrassment, "I learned about it in school." He moans when Jura starts rubbing it with her slim hand. A couple of minutes later she decides to try something she learned in a book she found in the storage room. The blonde-haired Dread pilot takes Eugene's cock into her mouth, bobbing up and down. Eugene starts bucking his hips unconsciously. It wasn't long before Eugene feels himself nearing a climax from the stimulation Jura's hot, wet mouth did on it. Jura felt his cock twitch then feels his seed burst out like a volcanic eruption. She had trouble getting all of it down but somehow managed.

Grabbing her shoulders, Eugene rolls them over which resulted in Jura laying on her back and Eugene opening her legs to see her sacred entrance soaking wet. Jura throws her head back the moment her lover began eating her out, clenching the bed sheets tightly. She places one hand on the young man's hair, encouraging him to continue. Eugene can't help but grin in his head. Here was Jura, the normally confident and sexy blonde with a body most women in his time line would kill to have, was completely at his mercy. Then again he's never done this before so he was going by instinct. It was paying off because Jura is moaning and thrashing her head against the pillow. Her breathing starts becoming heavier and wraps her legs around Eugene's head then unleashes an orgasmic cry. Eugene feels the young woman's juices pour out and he took it all in. He feels the Mejalian's legs releases their grip.

Pulling back the Aurelian stares at the blonde-haired woman coming off her orgasmic high. He reaches down to caress her cheek when Jura suddenly flipped them over with her ending on top. She traps his member between them, rubbing her pussy lips against it with a teasing grin. Eugene groans from the sensation but he wanted to feel the real thing. Thankfully Jura knows when to stop.

She aligns her pussy with his cock and slides down in one movement, yelping in pain upon feeling her hymen break. She grits her teeth. Eugene rubs her thighs in an effort to sooth the pain.

He said, "It's okay, Jura. The pain will pass shortly." Jura nods and waits for it to stop.

As Eugene said, the pain soon passes and is replaced with a pleasure. Jura takes this as a signal for her to start rocking her hips slowly, moaning at the feeling of his cock rubbing against her walls. She interlocked her hands with Eugene's while thrusting her hips. Jura never felt this kind of sensation in her life she was on cloud 9, she releases her hands from Eugene's and places them behind her picking up the pace of her thrusting. Eugene rubs her large breasts fueling the fire of passion within them. The blonde-haired Dread pilot feels Eugene moving his hips up with every downward thrust she made, the head of his cock rubbing against her g spot causing her to moan loudly. Their bodies are covered with sweat, Eugene grips the Dread pilot's hips and Jura responds by rocking her hips faster the moans coming from her become more frequent and louder. Her breasts trace circles in the air flicking beads of sweat everywhere while some of her gorgeous hair was matted to her face she brushes them behind her ears. Eugene stares at the blonde riding him with enthusiasm made her beyond sexy.

The Aurelian grits his teeth when he feels Jura's walls tighten around his member and the Dread pilot seems to have sensed this as well because she thrusts as fast as she could. Leaning forward she interlocks her hands with his again and slows her thrusting, flashing an evil grin at Eugene. Not wanting to be outdone, he flips them over earning a yelp of surprise from his lover and pistons away making Jura see stars. She wraps her legs around his waist, ensuring he doesn't escape. Her large breasts sway and Eugene rubs them causing their pleasure to spike. Jura feels Eugene's cock hitting her g-spot causing the blonde-haired Dread pilot to arch her back. Eugene increases his thrusting to the point where he's moving in and out of her as quick as he could, Jura's large breasts bounce wildly as her moans of pleasure grow louder. They soon feel the end approaching. Eugene pulls Jura up to a sitting where she automatically wraps her arms around his neck while pressing her breasts tight against his chest allowing him to feel their softness while Eugene grips her perfectly shaped posterior. Gray eyes stare into green with love and desire.

Eugene said, "I can't hold on much longer, Jura."

Jura replied, "Then let's cum together, love. Release inside me."

Eugene started, "But..."

The Dread pilot assured him, "It's okay. There's very little chance of me getting pregnant right now!" The pleasure reached its peak, "Ah. Yes! Any second now!" They thrust against each other a couple more times before the climax struck. Jura arches her slender back, her head mirroring the action then she cries out in euphoria. Eugene unloads inside just as the Dread pilot requested, the tightness of her walls gripped his cock like a boa constrictor. Jura holds the Aurelian while her pussy spasms.

When the last of them passed, her grip loosens and she slumped forward resting her head on Eugene's shoulder. She gains enough strength to gaze at Eugene before claiming his lips. The Aurelian falls backward with Jura on top feeling his cock still inside her.

The Dread pilot sighs in content over the sensation of the man's seed in her womb. Jura knew her cycle and wasn't fertile thus had very little chance of becoming pregnant. One thing she can say is that she was looking forward to doing this intimate deed with him again.

They both feel drowsy and fall into blissful sleep with a happy smile forming on Jura's face.

A/N: Chapter 17 finally done. So sorry about the month long delay. I was originally going to have this chapter out earlier but tragedy struck. My older brother lost his battle with drugs and OD on heroin on May 15 and died. He was only 30. This happened less than a year after my parents put my dog, Deoge. RIP Josh. December 25, 1985-May 15, 2016.

Not much to say, the chapter speaks for itself.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 18.

Happy 4th of July, everyone.

Vader 23A


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Aurelia's Fate Revealed and The Final Combination

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

The day after Meia's birthday party was peaceful and the crew go about their daily lives.

Kyle, Alex and Eugene are searching through piles of books to find more evidence about Aurelia's fate. They're able to find one book about Aurelia's history including the events following Gryphus Squadron's disappearance. Feeling optimistic, Alex grabs the book and they depart the storage room. Kyle found a video file on the flash drive and asked Parfet to see if she can decode the file to see what it was. The lead engineer agreed.

Sitting at one of the cafeteria tables, Alex opens the book while Kyle and Eugene stand next to him. Alex reads the content of each page before flipping to the next. Half of the book talked about Aurelia's geological history and boring stuff like. When he reaches page 124, thing's began looking good. It talks about the financial crisis that initiated the downfall of the country.

He read, "On May 2, 2031, the demand for oil increased exponentially following a terrorist attack on the oil production facilities in Antarctica two months ago. The crew were able to save the rigs but this sharp increase of oil demand started putting pressure on Aurelia's economy resulting in higher gas prices to the point it was hard for the majority of people to fill their cars with. Some oil companies had to lay off workers, costing them hard-earned money without compensation. Concerned about putting food on their table or keeping their house, the workers had to look for work elsewhere. Aurelia's president tried to reassure the people that things would get better eventually but the public wasn't convinced and felt the president wasn't doing his job. Leasath pitched in to help stabilize the Aurelian economy though the crisis was escalating at a phenomenal rate."

Alex deadpanned, "That doesn't explain much. The scientist in that message video explained that part."

Kyle said, "Huh, what's this? On June 5, 2038, seeing that the super soldier program was running out of funds, the descendants of the Gray Men declared global war in addition of obtaining new funding. They built up their military strength with soldiers still loyal to Diego Navarro. They used blitzkrieg tactics on Usea, catching the country by surprise and steadily progressed over the Osean continent and beyond. However, Usea and its allies regrouped. The descendants of the Gray Men were shocked by the ferocity of the counterattack. The combined forces of Usea, Osea, Yuktobania and others brought the invasion to a standstill. That is until the descendants of the Gray Men used a weapon of unknown origin to decimate majorly populated cities in an attempt to end all opposition. This only enraged the opposing countries and threatened to bomb vital facilities if the descendants of the Gray Men didn't cease attacking. The enemy wasn't fazed and switched to ambush tactics, plotting where Usea and the others were heading. The resulting casualties were horrendous and this caused the countries to surrender at the start of 2039. However, they refused to give the descendants of the Gray Men money to continue their super soldier program so they canceled it. Unknown to Usea or the others, they were working on another project, one that seem to exist only in science fiction movies. They were observing the night skies via high-powered telescopes for any NEOs." Kyle stopped for a moment to ask his squad mate, "What does NEO stand for, Alex?"

Alex replied, "It's a term used by astronomers if a comet or asteroid that were nudged by a planet's gravity and launched into Earth's neighborhood. They usually pass by the Earth without direct consequences though astronomers do keep a close eye on that comet or asteroid should it pay another visit. I learned about it during a TV documentary while enjoying my post Aurelian War vacation."

Kyle resumed reading, "Eventually word got out that the descendants of the Gray Men were launching some kind of satellite into space though what kind was unknown." Anxiety began to well up as he read further, "On January 2, 2039, the satellite was launched into space. It was labeled as a surveillance satellite but its true nature was kept hidden from the public. The descendants of the Gray Men gave Usea and its allies an ultimatum: Surrender or one of their cities will face destruction."

Alex frowned, "With what? Nukes? That's too cliché. Terrifying but still cliché."

Kyle sighed, "When they refused, the enemy stayed true to their word and unveiled to the Earth that the satellite launched into space was actually a multi-purpose attack satellite equipped with a high-power laser and gravity beam. They chose one city in particular to serve as an example." His blue-gray eyes widen in realization at the same time as Alex's.

Their horror is confirmed when Parfet finally decoded the video file and played the video on the infirmary's computer.

_A group of people stand on the rooftop of a building in Griswall. All of a sudden a neon blue beam of light 3 feet wide descended from the sky and starts carving a path of destruction. Even from their position, the group can feel its heat. The sound of explosions and buildings torn apart fill the air, the beam turns at the group's location but changes course at the last second. After 4½ hours of annihilating everything in its path, the beam dissipates on the outskirts of Griswall. The smell of smoke replaces the explosions that took place 4½ hours ago. From their position the group of teenagers look over the railing to see fire trucks racing through the streets to combat fires and hoping to find survivors._

Alex said, "Jesus Christ." Their horror deepens when the video title shows them what happens one week later.

_This time it shows Griswall from the viewpoint of a surveillance satellite launched by Leasath 10 years prior. The asteroid 99942 Apophis screams past the satellite and begins entering the Earth's atmosphere, glowing red-hot from friction. The satellite uses its zoom-in camera to watch as the 325-meter space rock plunges through the sky at incredible speed and crash into the middle of Griswall unleashing 750 megatons of kinetic energy and creating a crater 2.7 miles wide. Griswall itself was destroyed and everything within 100 miles share the same fate._

The event was reported by the Usean Press saying it was a second attack by the descendants of the Gray Men.

When the video ends Duero and Parfet watch as the two members of Gryphus Squadron stand there silently.

Kyle forms a fist popping his knuckles in the process, Alex mirrors his action.

The slightly older Aurelian growled, "So now we know what became of Aurelia following our disappearance. Those sick, deranged sons of bitches destroyed our home! I swear to God if we get back to our time line, I will hunt those bastards and rip their fucking hearts and make sure they watch me eat them!" Alex had similar thoughts except the last part.

On the Nirvana's bridge all is well until the alarm sounds.

Ezra alerted, "Captain, the Harvesters have sent a detachment toward our position."

Magno asked, "That's nothing new. How many are there?"

The brown-haired woman replied, "Only one."

BC frowned, "That doesn't make sense. The only other time they sent a single unit was that sea urchin at the beginning of our journey."

Belvedere said, "Distance 12,000 Gr., 9,000 Gr., 5,000. At this rate it'll be within range in 5 minutes or less." From the observation window, the bridge occupants see a speck of light growing brighter with every passing second until it takes the form of an updated version of Deimos called Deimos II.

This one was blood red in color, green eyes, had an assault rifle, shield on its left arm, cannon on its left shoulder unit and missile launcher on the right.

Amarone said, "Captain, I'm picking up a heat signature inside that unit."

Magno concluded, "That means it's manned by a single pilot. All hands to battle stations! Dread teams, Vanguard, Gryphus Squadron, Tianlong Squadron and Mobius 1 scramble immediately!" Deimos II points its cannon at the Nirvana and fires a shell. The shell explodes on contact and purple electricity covers the Nirvana.

Once the shaking stopped Ezra stated, "The launch platform has been disabled!"

BC gritted her teeth, "That's just great. We're sitting ducks now."

Amarone said, "The enemy pilot is requesting a match with Kyle Masterson."

Kyle's voice said over the radio, _"Gladly."_ They look the window to see Anubis hovering in front of them sword drawn.

'When did he get there?' They all thought.

Anubis releases low growls as it stares at the enemy, its tail slowly moving from side to side.

The pilot said, _"I am Clive Heart, descendant of the Gray Men."_

Gryphus 1's eyes narrowed, "You twisted punk, you destroyed Aurelia not only with a multi-purpose attack satellite but with the Apophis asteroid!"

The enemy pilot answered, _"They refused to surrender and paid the price. Could you imagine their screams before their lives were extinguished?"_ Unable to contain his rage, Gryphus 1 charges.

Anubis raises its sword Reaper to cut Deimos II in half but Deimos II brings its shield up to block the attack then fires the assault rifle at point-blank inflicting damage on Anubis. Shrugging off the damage the mechanical god of death balls its fist and thrusts it forward hoping to punch the opponent's head off but to Gryphus 1's surprise, his opponent catches it and head butts in retaliation staggering Anubis. Glaring at the challenger, Anubis points the left arm and the limb changes into the cannon. Red particles begin to accumulate inside the barrel and once the weapon reached full capacity, the weapon is fired. Deimos II stands there impassive for a moment before the chest plating opens up and absorbs the attack without effort. Once the attack stops, Deimos amplifies the power and sends it back to Anubis at terrifying speeds. Anubis breaks right but the beam severs the left arm. Inside the cockpit, Gryphus 1 felt the impact like someone took a sword and chopped his arm off, a scream of sheer agony erupts from his throat. Distracted by the pain, he fails to react in time as Deimos II fires an armor-piercing shell that plunges right through Anubis' chest mere inches from the cockpit. Once again, Gryphus 1 feels it screaming in pain.

The Nirvana crew watches in horror as the Southern Cross gets his ass kicked by an opponent that had quite possibly studied his battles.

Crux said, "Don't give up, Gryphus 1. You can win this, I know it." Meia stares at the sight with tears in her eyes, fear of losing her love gripped her heart.

Alex balled his fists angry of the fact that he couldn't be out there helping his flight lead.

They say an animal is most dangerous when hurt and Anubis was that hurt animal. Missing an arm and gaping hole in the chest area, Anubis releases a roar of defiance at Deimos II, the said opponent fires the cannon and Anubis slices the shell in half but this proves to be a bad idea because the moment the shell exploded it releases an EM pulse that temporarily disables the dark gray machine. Pissed of the fact that he was being outclassed Gryphus 1 activates the first stage of Onryo Mode, believing its power can help him overcome this problem.

Feeling the boost of negative energy coming from its pilot, Anubis opens its wings and directs the energy into its mouth to fire the Ray of Damnation. Once the ray was fully charged, Anubis fires it. However, instead of coming out of the mouth it erupts from the gaping hole in the chest. Inside the cockpit Gryphus 1's eyes shot wide open in pain, when the beam stopped there was a wound on his left pectoral and he coughed up blood staining the black visor of his helmet.

Clive chuckled, _"This is disappointing. The great Nemesis being humbled."_ He aimed the cannon and changed to laser rounds, _"Time to die, Nemesis."_ He pulls the trigger and a purple beam roars out of the barrel, vaporizing the majority of Anubis' body save for the head, torso and right arm. Brief surprise forms on Clive's face then quickly changes into an amused smirk.

Gryphus 1's breathing starts becoming labor as the effects of shock and blood loss set in. But even then, a spark of life remains in the Aurelian.

He said, "I won't lose. I can't lose!" With a force of several atomic bombs going off at once, a fiery red aura erupts from Anubis. Rearing its head back, Anubis releases a loud roar that in turn causes the aura become a brighter shade of red outlined with black lightning, the red hieroglyphics pulsating.

On the bridge Ezra suddenly cried, "Captain, Meia, Mia, Dita, Jura and Barnette's Dread are launching!"

Magno gasped, "How? The pilots are present here on the ship." Her gray eyes widened in realization, "Could it be Anubis' doing?" The silver, gray, red, blue and pink Dreads exit the Nirvana and head for Anubis turning into streaks of light as they approach and merge with the virtually unrecognizable machine. Bright kanji symbols appear where the missing body parts were before a blackish gray cocoon envelops Anubis. 4 minutes later, the cocoon explodes in a burst of sparks revealing a new robot.

It had demonic knight armor colored jet-black, spiked pauldrons, spiked gauntlets, curved bones ran down the sides of the legs and normal looking sabatons (armor plating that covers the feet), twin sets of bone crests sat on the forehead of the helmet while the visor itself had multiple slits. The inside of it was completely dark save for the glowing red eyes. Its weaponry included a broadsword that was slightly longer and wider than the standard kind, covered in ethereal red flames that radiated intense heat but it didn't affect the blade, a second, smaller sword rested on the robot's left hip and large shield mounted the left arm but the robot could still wield its primary weapon with both hands.

The new machine dubbed Ragnarok points its main sword at the opponent as if demanding they continue their battle.

Accepting the invitation, Deimos II changes the assault rifle into a claymore sword. With some unknown signal the two charge toward each other and Deimos II brought its claymore up for an overhead chop but Ragnarok blocks with its blade, Harbinger. Breaking off the attack, Deimos II swings horizontally to cut the opponent in half but Ragnarok grabs the weapon arm and drives its knee into Deimos II's chest along with driving the elbow into its back. Ragnarok next backhands the challenger away. Deimos II fires the cannon and Ragnarok brings the shield up to block it. Lowering it back down, Ragnarok slams it against the enemy's chest making Deimos II careen backwards.

Inside the cockpit, Gryphus 1 was panting from the exertion. Even with his insanely high resistance to pain, he was approaching the limit. He can feel the effects of blood loss beginning to take hold again. He needs to end this battle now!

Drawing its secondary weapon, Prophecy, Ragnarok channels energy into the the blades turning the fire blue.

The machine races toward Deimos II at blinding speed.

Bringing Harbinger up Ragnarok slashes the enemy's chest leaving scorch makes in addition to deep cuts in the armor, cutting across the face and carving a pentagram into Deimos II's chest and a fireball consumes the challenger. Gryphus 1 pants feeling that his opponent was dead, his hope is crushed when the smoke clears and Deimos II hovers there undamaged.

Clive taunted, _"Is that all you got?"_ He presses a button and Deimos II undergoes a transformation, its armor gaining spikes and thickening and gaining an increase of power.

Gryphus 1 said, "Fuck!"

Clive stated, _"Up to now, I have been toying with you. Let's see how you do when the gloves are off."_

Gryphus 1 declared, "I won't lose to you. You hear me?"

His opponent grinned, _"If you think you have what it takes, I'm going to give you everything I got."_ The two robots head for each other and Deimos II lowers the claymore to the side then brings it forward with force Ragnarok blocks it with both blades. It slides Harbinger along the length of the claymore and succeeds in removing a piece of Deimos II's face. Quickly chaining the attack, Ragnarok disengages the blade lock and stabs Deimos II in the shoulder with Prophecy. Deimos II shoves the blade out and reveals a high-powered shotgun to Gryphus 1 and fires.

Ragnarok vanishes from Clive's vision and he looks around frantically. Ragnarok re-appears behind its target and concentrates its energy into the swords, intensifying the red flames to the point where it starts changing color going from red to white-hot. It quickly throws both blades forward, piercing the chest armor barely missing the intended target. Ragnarok speeds toward Deimos II, grabbing the hilts and yanks the flaming swords out. It next swings Harbinger and Prophecy in a series of fast strikes against the opponent's back, concentrating the attacks on the middle part of the targeted body part. Large cuts begin to form.

Gryphus 1's vision starts wavering and losing feeling in his flesh and blood hand.

'No, not yet.' The Aurelian thought as he shook his head to clear his vision and restore feeling in his hand.

Whipping around Deimos II glares at Ragnarok before shifting the claymore into a beam cannon. Pointing the weapon at the dark armored fighter, bluish purple energy starts collecting in the barrel and fires, Clive watches Ragnarok bring its shield up to block it. An arrogant smile forms on Clive's face thinking it won't save Gryphus 1 that smile turns into shock when he witnesses Ragnarok's shield absorbing the attack, when the beam finally quits the shield was a bright purple.

Gryphus 1 said, "Eat this!" Ragnarok fires the collected energy back to its origin, blowing off Deimos II's left arm. Gryphus 1's hands fall off the control sticks as the effects of his injuries take hold. His breathing starts becoming labor, eyes glossing over and skin turning pale.

On the bridge, Amarone was keeping an eye on his vital signs when she noticed them going down and gasped, "Captain, Gryphus 1's vital are dropping!"

Magno gritted her teeth, "This is great. Gryphus 1 is out there by himself while we're trapped inside this EM bubble." She then noticed the said bubble weakening, "Huh? It's losing strength." Their hope increases when the bubble finally fades.

Belvedere said, "The bubble is no more."

Magno quickly ordered, "All available pilots, launch immediately! Gryphus 1 needs help!"

Alex replied, _"You got it! Eugene, let's go!"_

Eugene nodded, _"Right behind you."_ The two Aurelians head for their fighters as fast as they can. Hopping inside the cockpit the canopy closes while they start takeoff procedures.

The engine turbines start winding up and soon reach full strength. Armed with air to air weaponry, they line up their airplanes with the launch exit.

Alex called out, "Gryphus 2 here, I'm taking off!" He firewalls the throttle sending his F-22 out into space.

Eugene said, _"Crux heading out!"_ Like his squad mate, Crux lights up the afterburners. The E-3 Sentry II enters the vacuum of outer space.

Back with the fight, Clive said to his opponent, "I was expecting more of a fight than that, Nemesis. Time for you to die." A missile warning sounds and Deimos II turn around in time to be hit in the face with missiles.

Gryphus 2 spat with venom, _"Get away from our flight lead, asshole!"_ Readying another salvo of missiles, Gryphus 1's wingmen target the enemy's chest.

Crux waited for the missile lock to turn red and once it did, he said, "Crux, Fox Three!" The missile pods are launched at hyper sonic speed, indicating they had received an upgrade from the Paksis. The projectiles hit Deimos II's chest followed by Gryphus 2 firing a salvo of AMRAAM, scoring hits on the shoulders. They utilize hit and run tactics on the enemy.

Coming around, they fire the Vulcan Gatling cannons at Deimos II's face, taking out the right eye. Deimos II swings the claymore in an attempt to cleave the fighter jets but their pilots weren't allowing it.

Unknown to them, Ragnarok starts moving on its own without Gryphus 1. Locking onto Deimos II a purple glow lights up Ragnarok's back and fires. The glow turns into several homing lasers that move at incredible speeds, Deimos II shudders under the attack. Whipping around, the machine targets Ragnarok and was about to retaliate when it gets struck by missiles. Deimos II swings the claymore but Gryphus 2's stealth fighter avoids it and Crux went next shooting a bunch of swarm missiles at the opponent's mouth.

Clive said in annoyance, "Hold still, you pest!" His machine rocked from another attack, "No, I won't tolerate being outsmarted by a bunch of children!" All systems on the Nirvana come online and Bart takes advantage of it, firing the ship's homing lasers. The combination of attacks overwhelm Deimos II's armor. They suddenly hear a loud humming and they spot Ragnarok's eyes glowing and unleash lasers vaporizing bits of armor. With victory at hand the Nirvana fighters do a combo attack.

Gryphus 2 fires XLAAM on the chest, Crux shoots the Vulcan Gatling cannon at Deimos II's face, Bart release another salvo of homing lasers in conjunction with Ragnarok. Feeling the time was right to hit the killing blow, Gryphus 2 and Crux arm the third salvo of their special weapons and Bart locks onto Deimos II. They fire at the same time, rain of steel and laser bear down on the target generating a cloud of smoke. When it clears Deimos II was there badly damaged, however Clive remains stubborn and changes the claymore into the beam cannon. However, a hand grips the gun keeping the weapon from being fired.

Turning its head, Deimos II discovers it being Ragnarok holding it. It pulls hard ripping the lower arm off then tears open the chest exposing the cockpit and Clive himself. Ragnarok's eyes produce the loud humming as they charge up, Clive curses Gryphus Squadron before his existence comes to an end as Ragnarok fires its lasers beams down the cockpit. Not satisfied the machine pushes Deimos II away before redirecting the energy into its own chest, the armor plating opens and the beam is fired again this time with higher output. Deimos II vaporizes until nothing was left. With its opponent now dead, Ragnarok unleashes a roar of victory. It follows Gryphus Squadron back to the Nirvana, defusing before landing in the hanger.

Anubis kneels down as a stretcher is rolled in. The cockpit opens and Kyle falls out but Ken catches him, the weight of his student's armored g-suit sends him falling onto his back. Quickly returning to his feet, Ken places Kyle onto the stretcher which is then rushed to the infirmary's ER. Duero was informed moments ago and had the room set up.

He first removes Kyle's helmet followed by unzipping his g-suit revealing the extent of Kyle's injuries.

A gaping hole occupied the young man's left pectoral though somehow his vital organs were spared, a long cut ran down his abdomen and his skin was cold. His pulse was weak but it was there. Duero couldn't determine how many pints of blood Kyle lost but he can assume it was a considerable amount. Paiway feels herself getting woozy and ran out of the ER in search of the nearest trashcan. Ken took her place and though he too was disturbed by the extent of his student's injuries he had better intestinal fortitude.

After hooking him up to vital monitors, Duero goes to work on repairing the damage with Ken helping him as much as he can. The Onryo Mode uses its dark power to regenerate the muscle tissue over the veins and left rib cage though Duero was too occupied to notice. Unfortunately, because of Kyle's condition the Onryo Mode couldn't heal any further than that. After 4 hours of surgery and couple of blood transfusions Duero was able to fix Kyle up. However, he discovers something weird.

The vein marks on Kyle's neck haven't receded, staying on the sides of his neck like some tattoo, opening the sedated man's eye Duero sees the irises have turned a permanent blood red color while the pupils remained normal. Letting the eyelid drop close Duero used his index finger and thumb to part Kyle's lips to spot his canines have sharpened into fangs. Shooting down the feeling of fear he felt at the sight of the fangs, Duero sanitizes the surgical tools when Paiway returns to the infirmary feeling somewhat better.

Later that day, Gryphus Squadron along with Parfet's help began putting pieces of the puzzle together. Once it was finished they see a time line taking shape.

June 1, 1990, the Gray Men initiate a program that was originally designed to reverse the aging process in humans with the intent of achieving eternal youth. After 3 years of trial and error, the program started going in the right direction. The ambition for eternal youth slowly turned into pursuit of immortality.

June 5, 1995, slightly over two months since the Belkan War started on March 25, the project took a darker turn. The Belkan military requested the R&amp;D to create super soldiers for the front line. The intention was to literally create human tanks with increased strength, enhanced stamina and endurance. The project was met with furious opposition by some of the scientists who believed it was immoral. However, it was too late for the super solider to bear fruit because Belka was losing to the combined forces of Osea, Yuktobania, Sapin and Ustio led by Cipher and Solo Wing Pixy then his replacement Patrick James after Pixy betrayed Cipher. Belka eventually detonated nuclear bombs in one last ditch effort to the advancing forces, destroying 7 Belkan cities in the process and contaminating the area with nuclear radiation.

After 18 years of peace, the super soldier program became active again with the descendants of the Gray Men receiving funding by Leasath commanding officer Diego Navarro.

7 years later, on October 5,2020, the Aurelian military discovered they could use the project for the augmentation surgery of the grievously injured Kyle Masterson little did they know they had fulfilled what the original Gray Men set out to do. Kyle's strength, stamina and endurance was boosted to superhuman levels though bionic limbs was something the original Gray Men didn't expect. Times had changed since their deaths. Later that day, Leasath invaded Aurelia under Navarro's command with intent of avenging years of supposed exploitation by Aurelia. In reality Aurelia was Leasath's largest benefactor in aid due to the fact Leasath suffered a nasty civil war one year prior. With the help from the Gleipnir airborne Leasath caught Aurelia off-guard, claiming 95% of Aurelian territory in just 10 days. All opposition was crushed. However, some of the Aurelian Air Force continued to fight.

Leasath sent bombers to deal the final blow. The attack was thwarted because Gryphus Squadron led by the Southern Cross downed all bombers. Their victory was short-lived when a SWBM launched by the Gleipnir destroyed virtually the entire squadron with Gryphus 1 and 2 as the survivors. Even with this near destruction, Gryphus 1 led the remaining Aurelian ground forces to reclaim lost territory culminating in the destruction of the Gleipnir leading to boost of morale to the Aurelian forces. Gryphus Squadron pushed Leasath out of the Aurelia's capital, Griswall. Diego Navarro fled heading toward Sentry Island. He intended to use the Aurelian War to amass enormous sum of money to develop Fenrir being developed at Archelon Fortress. After destroying the research facilities at Cobalt Cave, Gryphus Squadron turned its attention back to Sentry Island to make sure Diego Navarro's plan ends in failure.

Despite the elite Alect Squadron flying the fully functional Fenrir, Gryphus 1 along with the help of Aurelian amphibious unit shot down Alect Squadron. Shortly after that, Gryphus 1 flew inside Archelon Fortress to eliminate a fifth Fenrir that was attempting to escape and exited Archelon Fortress via roof hatch before explosions ripped the structure apart.

Gryphus 1 did an interview for journalist Albert Genette prior to returning to Cape Aubrey.

Christmas came to Griswall and perhaps as a thank you for all he's done, toy companies developed Santa figures bearing the emblem of the Southern Cross.

On March 1, 2021, Diego Navarro came out of hiding to avenge the humiliating defeat Gryphus 1 brought him. Following a massive dogfight, the admiral of the enemy fleet's flagship ordered the firing of a new weapon they had developed. The weapon supposedly annihilated Gryphus Squadron.

Despite Gryphus Squadron's unexplained disappearance, Aurelia entered a decade of peace.

On May 2, 2031 things started going downhill for Aurelia. A terrorist attack on the oil rigs in Antarctica two months prior caused some oil companies to lay off workers costing them hard-earned money without compensation. A secondary effect was the increase of gas prices to the point where most people couldn't fill up their cars. This applied pressure to Aurelia's and the people started blaming the president for not doing his job of handling the crisis. Some demanded he should be removed from office. Leasath jumped in to help stabilize the crumbling economy but the situation was quickly spiraling downwards.

June 5, 2038 saw the descendants of the Gray Men needing more funds to keep their super soldier program alive in addition to global domination. They launched an invasion starting with Usea and steadily progressed over the entire Osean continent. They were met with fierce opposition from a coalition of Usea and its allies. They were able to hold off the enemy long enough for Mobius 1 and his surviving ally to escape.

Casualties were horrendous but despite this Usea and its allies refused to give the descendants of the Gray Men the resources to keep the super soldier program going. Realizing this the enemy gave up the project. However, they secretly worked on another, more sinister project.

On January 2, 2039, the descendants of the Gray Men launched a multi-purpose attack satellite and later gave Usea and its allies the ultimatum: Surrender or a major city will face destruction.

Usea and the other states refused and this prompted the enemy to use the attack satellite. They selected Aurelia as the example.

The satellite fired its laser and for the next four and a half hours carved a path of destruction, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians. The descendants of the Gray Men felt this wasn't enough to persuade the countries so in a display of unbridled cruelty, they sent the Apophis asteroid hurling through the Earth's atmosphere. The space rock crashes into the middle of Griswall, reducing the capital and everything within 100 miles to ash. This ended all opposition but in secret Aurelia, Leasath and other countries continued to building massive colonization ships that would allow humanity to live among the stars through discreet third-parties that despised the Gray Men. This would later be called the Colonization Era. Sadly this also made Aurelia use the last of its resources which resulted in the country's collapse.

Now Kyle, Alex and Eugene had discovered what became of Aurelia following their disappearance. It was destroyed by both economic collapse and attacks by the descendants of the Gray Men. They reacted in their own way.

Eugene sat in the Nirvana's garden staring out the observation window, his mind processing what he just learned.

Alex balled his fists in an attempt to cool the seething anger within him.

Kyle showed his reaction.

Ken follows the sound of glass shattering and stuff being thrown, reaching the weight room to see his student throwing dumbbells of various weight against the wall mounted mirror in his display of rage.

Ken asked, "What are you doing?"

Kyle glared at him, "What does it look like? Making a mess!"

The Usean deadpanned, "Obviously. I know you're pissed over the fact that the Gray Men destroyed Aurelia but is this the proper way to relieve yourself?" His student's now permanent red eyes briefly sent chills down Ken's spine.

Kyle bellowed, "You think you have the right to tell me how to express my feelings? The descendants of the Gray Men destroyed the city I was born in for a super soldier program that had no chance of seeing the light of day because Usea and the other countries denied them money. So what do they do? They used a multi-purpose attack satellite on Griswall then sent a 325-foot wide asteroid to finish the job. Countless people were automatically vaporized. Now you're telling me to calm the fuck down when I have every right to be pissed?!"

Ken calmly stated, "I know. I'd be pissed too if they did the same to Usea but a hate filled heart will destroy itself. Will the flames of your hatred ever subside?" That only pisses Kyle off more.

He showed it, "Shut up!" He threw a 20-pound dumbbell into the wall mounted mirror, further shattering the glass, "You think you're some kind of therapist? Goddamn it, Ken my life is not like it used to be. My sisters were killed in front of me, my mother and adopted little sister perished in the bombing of my hometown at the start of the Aurelian War and I was the end result of the Gray Men's super soldier program. Life is nothing like you read in those fairy tale books, it's not sunshine and butterflies Ken. It's about pain, hardship and finding happiness that doesn't exist in this reality. What good is living without peace in one's self? Heroes come and go. I don't care if the Earth in this universe calls me a monster. Should we ever and I mean ever able to return to our time line, I will hunt the descendants of the Gray Men to make sure they face execution for the sins they have committed."

Ken asked, "Is that the only thing you know?"

Kyle grabbed his teacher, "That's all I know how to do!" He throws a right hook that sends Ken flying across the room, thankfully he came to a stop before his head collided with a ruined dumbbell.

Staring at his panting student he said, "Life is full of good and bad, Kyle. Everybody knows that. What keeps you from looking at the positive things in life?" He stood up when it hit him, "Ah, I think I know what's holding you back. You believe if you fully allow others in, they will up disappearing. Am I right?" Ken knows he is wandering through dangerous territory but he needed to get Kyle out of the state he was in. Unknown to them, Meia stood outside the training room listening to the wrenching voice of her beloved.

Ken went on, "Not every human being is bad."

Kyle snapped, "Shut up, Ken! Humans are destructive by nature. We pollute the environment, rage war on each other, have no respect toward nature at all."

The Usean cut him off, "There is some truth in that. However, some people want to make change for the greater good. The Colonization Era is one example." Kyle turns his back toward Ken, feeling images of his past self rising to the surface.

He said, "I once thought as you do." He turned around to face his mentor, "Times have changed, pal. So have I."

Ken wondered, "You believe rendering the Earth in this universe will help your self-loathing?"

Kyle nodded, "The end justify the means."

Ken pleaded, "Please, Kyle. Stop going down this destructive path. I see the turmoil in your eyes, let go of your hate."

The Aurelian said with a measure of remorse, "It is too late for me, Ken. The only way for me to find peace is kill the leader of the Harvest. You take out the leader and his forces will lose motivation."

Ken said, "You need to come to terms with your grief at some point." With that the Usean departs the room leaving Kyle to survey the damage he caused.

'Some things can't be forgiven.' He thought.

A/N: Chapter 19 done.

Here we finally learn what became of Aurelia. I know an asteroid destroying a city is something out of a disaster movie and laser beam descending from the sky classic science fiction but the former is still a frightening possibility.

Anubis had the ability to call the Dreads and Vanguard. The final machine has the ability to fight even if the pilot is incapacitated.

Kyle still has problems in terms of morality and view on life in addition to showing he is not invincible even with his augmentation.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 19.

Vader 23A


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Confronting One's Personal Demons

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

The Nirvana crew find themselves once again battling the Harvesters inside a huge magnetic storm containing rock fragments the size of houses or more. It can be compared to a severe blizzard with zero visibility prompting the Dread pilots, Mobius 1, Tianlong and Gryphus Squadron to remain alert because they could crash into each other without realizing it until it was too late.

Gryphus 1 finds himself battling Phobos and Deimos except they're armed with close-range weaponry.

Anubis grabs Phobos' weapon arm with the free hand and drives a knee into the machine's gut, Phobos falls to its hands and knees. Anubis raises its sword to finish the opponent when it feels Deimos stab him through side of its chest. The mechanical god of death shrugs off the attack and drives the back of its head into Deimos' face. It next reaches behind to pull the spear out. Spinning on the heel of its foot, Anubis charges at Deimos, pinning it to its left shoulder and rams Deimos into a cliff situated on the space rock.

Gryphus 2 weaves through enemy fire when he spots a Dread appear in front of his 12 o'clock, reacting quickly he pulls the F-22 into a swift dive. The maneuver works.

Close by Vandread Meia finishes downing a cube-type when it sends out a warning to the pilot they were about to collide with a friendly. They too executed a dive to avoid it.

Hibiki sighed in relief while Meia ordered, "Team leaders, tighten up your formations and stay close. This way we can prevent from crashing into each other. Does anyone copy? This storm's interfering with our communication." They hear Dita scream as her blue Dread is chased by the evil copy of her Vandread.

Hibiki grunted, "This is getting old real fast! Let's separate, Meia." The Dread leader nods in agreement before they defuse the Vandread and Hibiki pilots his Vanguard toward Dita's Dread and fuse to create Vandread Dita.

Landing on the rock fragment, the shiny blue machine searches for its opponent when Fakedread Dita appears out of the storm. The two locks hands, testing each other like two bulls. Fakedread Dita initially had the upper hand but Vandread Dita swiftly changes the tide, cracking the Fakedread's hands. The machine breaks the lock and retreats into the fog shooting its shoulder mounted laser cannons. Vandread Dita almost loses balance while avoiding the attack. When it stopped, the Fakedread was nowhere to be seen.

Hibiki asked, "Where did he go?" The Vandread took a hit in the back that sent it to the ground.

Dita held her nose, "Ow!"

Hibiki stated, "This isn't doing much good." The bridge crew on the Nirvana watch the battle.

BC ordered, "Deploy the emergency Dread evacuation system. Collect all Dread teams immediately!" Every pilot receives the signal including Gryphus Squadron and return to the Nirvana. Fakedread looks to give chase when Vandread Dita grabs its foot.

Hibiki said, "You should be more concerned about us!" The shiny blue Vandread spins around to gain momentum and releases its evil counterpart then fires the laser cannons to finish it off. With the opponent defeated Hibiki and Dita were about to return to the Nirvana when Fakedread Jura comes out of nowhere and fires at Vandread Dita, defusing the robot. Dita stabilizes her blue dread and calls out Hibiki's name but gets no reply.

She felt her Dread being grabbed, "What?" Looking over her shoulder, she spotted Shadow dragging her back to the Nirvana, "What are you doing, Mobius 1?"

The Usean replied, _"Didn't you hear the order? We need to head back."_

Dita asked him, "But what about Mr. Alien?"

Mobius 1 told her,_ "You can't see anything in this storm. We'll have to wait until we get a fix on his location."_ On an unknown planet Hibiki lies on the dry ground of a desert after being ejected from the cockpit of his Vanguard. He picks up the sound of footsteps approaching.

One man said, _"The young man still lives."_

A second one stated, _"He's also met Sam."_

The third chuckled, _"Heh, so he calls himself Rabat these days."_ Hibiki's brown eyes open to see people wearing similar clothing Rabat wore standing over him.

Hibiki asked while trying to get up, "Who are you guys?"

The first man assured, _"No need to worry, young one. The spirits haven't forsaken your people yet. My name's Kokopari. I'm the chieftain of our people."_

Hibiki gasped, "You're speaking inside my head!"

The second man chuckled, _"We have no need for speaking verbally. Come. Let us take you to our village."_ The men help Hibiki get to his feet and escort him to their home.

The Nirvana hooks itself to a large asteroid, use the space rock as an anchor.

Ezra said, "Hibiki, Hibiki! Do you hear me, Hibiki?" The rest of the bridge crew are silent feeling the pain of loss of their comrade.

Eugene told her, "That's enough, Ezra." The brown-haired woman was about to retort but Eugene said, "Calm down. Hibiki may be brash and cocky sometimes but he isn't a quitter. He's out there somewhere, I'm sure of it."

Amarone asked, "How can you possibly know that?"

The Aurelian looked at her, "Like I told Ezra, Hibiki doesn't quit. Have faith in his will to survive."

Meia appeared on the monitor and requested, _"With your permission, captain I would like to go out and look for him."_

Magno declined, "You can't see your hand in front of your face out there."

Jura appeared on a separate monitor staring at her nails, _"We can't form the Vandreads without him."_

Mist said, _"We can use the radar room to locate Hibiki. With enough luck, we can pinpoint where he crash landed."_ The monitor was soon filled with crew members offering suggestions on how to find the Vanguard pilot.

BC calmly ordered, "Easy, people. Nothing good will come out if we panic!"

Magno smiled, "We won't be exiting this storm anytime soon. I suggest you girls figure out what solution is the best to find our crew mate." She pressed the button on her chair to leave the bridge and passed through the door leading to the briefing room, "They don't want to find Hibiki not merely for combining with his Vanguard like they admit, they consider him as a fellow crew mate." She suddenly leans forward moaning as crippling pain hits her chest. She curses under her breath about old age.

Elsewhere on the ship, Tianlong Squadron sets in the quiet cafeteria.

Catherine asked, "Do you still hate your parents for neglecting you in favor of your sister?" The Chinese man was expecting that question.

He answered, "Yes."

Mori offered, "Why don't you give them a second chance? They likely want your forgiveness and regret their actions."

Chang sighed, "I don't know if I should."

Mori showed a rare care of seriousness, "Quit holding a grudge against your parents, Chang. They most likely want to start over with you. You won't know until you try." Her fellow squad mates are taken by this sudden change of attitude from the Japanese pilot. For as long as they've known her, Mori rarely became serious in matters outside of combat.

Catherine playfully glared at her, "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my squad mate?"

Mori shot her a look, "I'm tired of seeing Chang being so emo when it comes to personal matters." Hibiki recovers from his injuries after being led to a meeting room inside the village. Local children gather to see the newcomer.

A woman fills a bowl with some kind of liquid before handing it to Hibiki.

The Tarak teen was hesitant but Kokopari assured him, _"Don't worry, it's not poison. Drink it, it'll help you."_

Hibiki so and swallowed but then gagged at the taste, "Yuck! That was awful." He briefly glared at the laughing kids before asking, "How come you guys speak with your minds?"

Tanaka scowled, _"Earthlings! The Earthlings stole our voices!"_

Kokopari said, _"Calm yourself, Tanaka. Nothing can be gained through the power of hatred."_ He next gazed at Hibiki, _"Our ancestors discovered they had the ability to make contact with the spirits, this trait passed on through generations. The Earthlings feared we surpassed them and as such stole our voices then left us stranded on this planet."_

Hibiki asked, "How can they be so cruel?"

The chieftain smiled, _"The irony of it all is that we learned this ability because of the Earthlings' action."_

Hibiki stood up, "Come on! Why don't you guys fight back? They left you to fend for yourselves on this world. What does it to take to piss you guys off?"

Kokopari said, _"You have made contact with the Negative Conscious."_

Hibiki asked, "What's that?"

Tanaka explained, _"It only cares about death and destruction of other beings. Hence the name. We don't allow ourselves to fight in the need of destroying each other, the spirits won't aid us with the power of hatred."_

The Vanguard pilot, "You won't know until you try."

Kokopari, _"Regardless, victory isn't always gained through fighting. There are alternative ways to obtaining victory. It's true that your home world is near, it's also true that the final battle with Earth who seeks to harvest other people is also drawing near. That is where the Negative Conscious entered. You are hasty and don't think ahead because of it. You were able to make contact with your inner self and must do so again to clear your mind of negativity. You must enter the Cave of the Spirits, they will help you in this endeavor."_

Hibiki cocked his head, "Cave of the Spirits?"

Tanaka answered, _"It's where we go to train our minds. It's useful to clear it of negativity or doubt like our chieftain explained."_

Kokopari said, _"No need to fear, young one. Think of this as a test."_ Hibiki crossed his arms while thinking it over. He remembered Kyle testing him to see if he can lead a squadron without his assistance during the Battle of Gaia. Hibiki proved himself at the conclusion of the battle.

The teen accepted, "Fine, I'll do it. But if this is some kind of a joke to you, you'll regret it ."

Kokopari stood up, _"This is no joke at all."_ Tanaka got to his feet as well and the trio head for the Cave of the Spirits. It doesn't take long for them to reach the entrance.

Hibiki looked at the two men, "This is the Cave of the Spirits? Looks like a normal cave to me."

Tanaka said, _"Looks can be deceiving. Once your start your spiritual journey, you'll see what we have seen."_ Hibiki enters the cave.

In the Nirvana's radar room, Meia and the other Dread pilots use the astronomical maps to look for the Vanguard pilot. Mia accompanied since she had nothing better to do besides napping with Alex. The revelation of Aurelia's destruction rubbed him of sleep so he was currently asleep to make up for it.

Meia said, "This is harder than I first thought. There are so many planets on the map, Hibiki could be on any one of them. We won't stop until we have found him."

BC added, "It's like finding a needle in a haystack as the old saying goes."

Bart popped up on the monitor and whined, _"Oh yeah? How about you puts yourself in my shoes for once. I'm doing the actual searching here!"_

Meia explained, "I've asked Bart to search every last possible location Hibiki could be at."

The platinum-haired woman said, "Is that so? In that case don't let us down, Bart."

The helmsman beamed,_ "Leave it to me."_ He ended the transmission and said to himself, "I'll find you no matter what. So don't you dare croak until then! Whoops! Guess I blew that one. Oh well. Next." He chuckled upon his mistake during his search for Hibiki's whereabouts.

Inside the Cave of the Spirits Hibiki makes his long climb toward the summit, his clothes already had rips and tears in them.

He groaned, "Sheesh, they could have given me a flashlight at least. Can't see anything!" He lost his grip for a second but quickly grabbed the wedge of rock, "Damn it, is this part of the test?"

Kokopari said in the teen's mind, _"Open your heart, young one. If you do the spirits will aid you."_

Hibiki shook his head, "I don't need help!" Suddenly he gets bombarded by taunts from the Negative Conscious in addition to voices of the Nirvana crew expressing their disappointment of him. The taunting quickly get to Hibiki and his loses his grip falling to the darkness.

Tanaka and Kokopari stand outside of the cave's entrance watching Hibiki's progress with their special ability.

Tanaka said, _"Maybe the trial was too much him."_

The chieftain replied, _"No, it depends on what's inside the young man's heart."_ Tanaka senses another presence and turns around to see Rabat and Utan standing on hill looking down at them.

In the Nirvana's infirmary, Duero was looking through Hibiki's personal data so he can treat whatever injury the Vanguard pilot might have. Hearing the door slide open he spots Pyoro hovering over to him with blank white eyes indicating the Paksis was controlling him.

It asked, "Who is Hibiki?" He next shows Duero and Paiway various pictures of Hibiki including one piece of information that caught the doctor's eye.

Hibiki finds himself in the aqua green sea he's found himself in on multiple occasions hearing the strange voices from earlier.

One voice said, _"Why do you exist?"_

Hibiki answered, "To prove my existence, I guess. I don't know who I am. Who...am I?" After the admission, the Paksis shows him a whole bunch of memories of his time with the Nirvana crew then some he'd never seen before.

On the Nirvana, Meia, Jura and Dita find themselves in a trance-like state and point at the same place on he astronomical map.

Meia started, "Hibiki is..."

Jura finished, "...right in this area. No doubt it." Magno gasps upon hearing the bombshell Duero dropped on her.

Her gray eyes widened in shock, "What did you say?! Hibiki was part of the first generation?!"

Duero nodded, _"No question about it. Hibiki was part of the first generation and was on board this pioneer ship. The pioneer fleet passed through this very sector and only kept a skeleton crew while they placed others into cold sleep. He was one of them."_

Magno asked herself, "So that baby from back then is the arrogant boy we all know?" She next had a flashback of when she was a girl holding an infant in her arms. It became clear the baby she held was Hibiki.

The Nirvana detaches the grappling hook and heads out toward Hibiki's location, throwing Bart out of the helm in the process.

BC asked him, "What are you doing? I don't recall giving the order to change course!"

Bart replied honestly, "I didn't do anything! The ship did it on its own!"

The platinum-haired woman blinked in surprise, "On its own?"

Inside the aqua green sea, Hibiki put the pieces together, "I get it now, you're a living thing! I finally understand!" A blinding white light engulfs him.

Kokopari sensed it and smiled, _"He's finally arrived at the place where the spirits await him."_ He began a ceremony using different colored sand, first creating a circle with black sand then switched to a different color,_ "The Blue Kachina, the Three Prayers, the 8 Shadows, the 153 Hearts."_ Tanaka turns around in time to see Utan jumping into his arms with tears in her eyes.

He hushed the orangutan,_ "Be quiet, Kokopari's in the middle of performing the ceremony!"_ Utan covers her mouth with her hands.

Kokopari sensed Rabat and greeted him,_ "Welcome back, Sam. It's certainly been a long time since you last came here."_

Rabat said, "I had a feeling that one day the kid would end up here."

Kokopari replied, _"You were the same back then."_ Rabat has a brief recall of the time he crash landed on the planet.

The trader waved it off, "Meh, I was nothing like him."

Tanaka gasped, _"Are you saying the spirits chose him over you?"_

Kokopari said, _"We saw the Blue Kachina within him."_

Rabat added, "He acquired the White Wings and Red Claw in addition to the Blue Giant."

Kokopari stared at the cave entrance, _"If what you say is true then the boy has what he needs to conquer this challenge."_ Inside the Cave of the Spirits, Hibiki continues his ascension.

The Paksis said, _"The ticking of time, lives with limits."_

Hibiki grunted with each step, "You don't have the ticking of time we humans do. From your point of view we may be nothing more than living organisms. But that's why we cherish moments we create, storing them as memories to look back on when things get tough. I don't have proof of my existence yet but I will find it. To be honest, I hate going at it alone. I can barely survive without the people I've come to known."

The Paksis said, _"They are valuable comrades."_

Hibiki agreed, "Yes they are. They all go out of their way to help me and because they're here, I can be myself. If I lost one, I'd never forgive myself."

The entity added, _"The desire of many prayers. Hope."_

Hibiki chuckled, "Heh, it's a lot to carry on my shoulders but I refuse to give up. I can't slack off because they'll be sad if I quit after coming so far." A beam of light appears indicating he was approaching the summit.

The Paksis next said, _"Worry, doubt, jealousy."_

Hibiki admitted, "Before I came here, I was thinking only about myself. I didn't care about what others around me thought. It didn't matter to me at the beginning however, it's different now. If I had more than I have now, I can protect them. I won't back down." The Negative Conscience came back to make Hibiki doubt himself but the Tarak teen wasn't afraid, "Out of the way, you don't scare me anymore!" The red light fades and Hibiki reaches the summit and takes in the sunset.

Kokopari felt it and smiled, _"And so, another pure warrior has been born."_

Rabat said, "You're on your own stage now, kid. Make yourself known and use your own words!"

Hibiki did just that, "Aaaaaaaaah, I am Hibiki Tokai! I won't back down, I'll fight for them. The people who believe in me." Dita's blue Dread appears out of the background.

The redhead cried, "Mr. Alien!" Hibiki stands there with an accomplished smile on his face.

In the Nirvana's radar room, Misty laughs while telling Jura to stop who was currently kissing her on the cheek and Barnette shrugs.

Eugene stood in the garden with a smile, "Hm, I told you Hibiki wouldn't quit. He's too stubborn for it." Some of the salvage crew haul the Vanguard onto the transport ship to return it to the Nirvana for repairs.

Kokopari said, _"You have passed the test, young one. You are a noble warrior."_

Hibiki rubbed his nose, "Oh, stop it. I'm embarrassed as it is from making a scene earlier." The chieftain places a stone on Hibiki's forehead.

He informed,_ "As long as you have this stone, we'll be with you. You have overcome the challenge of this land and have been reborn. From this day forward, you can call this planet home. You are free to return here any time you wish. Both in hard times and happy times, you don't need to hesitate. We'll be here to greet you because from this day forward, we are your family."_

Hibiki asked, "My family?"

Kokopari with a smile, _"Yes."_

The Vanguard pilot found the strength to say, "Thank you so much." Once Hibiki returns to the Nirvana, the ship continues course for Tarak and Mejale.

Magno announced, "Once we clear this storm, we'll be on our way home toward Mejale. Don't let your guard down enemy could attack us at every opportunity they have."

The bridge crew nodded, "Roger!" That night, everyone was sleep except Chang and Mori find themselves in Catherine's quarters making Chang wonder what the young British woman had in mind. His gets his answer when the 24-year old lunged at him, pressing her lips against his.

A hot blush appears on Chang's face at the unexpected move from his squad mate, Mori had a similar blush on her face. Breaking the kiss Catherine tells Chang to sit on her bed.

He raised an eyebrow, "Okay, what's this about?"

A mischievous grin formed on Catherine's face, "I felt it was time to give you something you'd never forget." She looked at Mori, "Wouldn't you say so?"

Mori gasped, "W-what do you mean?"

Catherine chuckled, "Oh come on, Mori we both know you think of Chang more than just a squad leader or childhood friend. Your feelings for him go deeper than that." Seeing her about to reply she cut the Japanese woman off, "I still care about him but my feelings for aren't romantic like yours are. Besides you're gonna love this."

(Last lemon of the story. You know the drill, right?)

Catherine approaches Mori and kisses her taking the slightly older woman by surprise. Mori finds herself responding to the kiss, wrapping her arms around Catherine's waist pulling her closer and Catherine's arms did the same. The two start French kissing each other, their tongues dancing together and making them groan in desire. Mori feels Catherine's hands exploring her body, starting at the hips then move to her backside feeling the firm and toned muscle there causing the Japanese woman to squirm

Chang looks on with a mix of confusion and a feeling he never experienced in his life.

Breaking the kiss due to lack of oxygen Catherine sees a hot blush on Mori's face that matched her albeit less visible tint, blue meeting dark brown. Turning her head to see what her flight lead's reaction was to her satisfaction Catherine sees Chang looking at them with slow rising intrigue and possibly arousal though she can't tell for certain. However, she already had in mind of what's next. Chang tilted his head when he hears Catherine let out a girly giggle before she returns her attention to Mori. She reaches forward and starts unbuttoning the Japanese woman's shirt, starting from the top button and working her way down. Once the last button is undone Catherine removes the shirt and tosses it not caring about where it lands. Catherine sees Mori wearing a deep red bra with black outlines.

She grinned, "My, my, I didn't know you were so daring today." She nibbles on Mori's ear.

The slightly older woman said, "D-don't say that! It's too embarrassing!"

Briefly halting on nibbling Mori's ear, Catherine said, "Don't be." She reaches down and pulls her shirt off revealing a violet bra that struggled to contain her breasts. The British pilot brings Mori's hands to concealed breasts allowing the Japanese woman to feel another woman's chest for the first time. Small gasps escape Catherine as she feels her nipples beginning to harden due to the stimulation. Mori tries to pull her hands away but Catherine's grip was surprisingly strong for someone of her size. Catherine makes her hands rubs her breasts a bit faster and harder causing the gasps to change into moans of pleasure. Opening her eyes Mori can see fires of passion burning strong within the blue orbs.

Releasing her grip on Mori's hands, Catherine reaches for the woman's bra. Thankfully the clasp was on the front and a few movements of her fingers, Catherine succeeds in undoing the clasp making the bra fall off Mori's shoulders. Feeling self-conscious Mori moves to cover her assets but Catherine grabs hold of her hands to stop her. Leaning forward she licks the pink nubs feeling them quickly harden under tongue. Mori's fingers run through Catherine's blonde hair when she feels the incredible sensation stop abruptly, opening her dark brown eyes she's about to ask Catherine why she stopped when the slightly younger woman reaches behind her back and undoes the clasp to her violet bra her D cup breasts bounce lightly when they're released and Catherine tosses it aside, her squad mates gawk at her large bust. Now both naked from the waist up, Catherine returns to Mori and gives her a searing kiss before going down to her knees leaving a trail of kiss down Mori's sternum until she reaches her toned, flat stomach making Mori giggle from the sensation. Reaching for the woman's pants, Catherine undoes the button and pulls the zipper down then pulls them and her panties down in one go. After tossing them Catherine removes her remaining attire, adding them to the growing pile of clothing somewhere on the bedroom floor. The two stop their make-out session to appreciate one another in their nude glory.

The urge to cover herself struck Mori yet something prevented her from doing so. She left her arms at her sides.

She was slender, her creamy, fair skin had no blemishes, had the right amount of muscle on her frame, seductive curves led to beautiful legs and lacked pubic hair.

Catherine stood there unashamed as Mori drank in her amazing figure, her blonde hair shined proudly, mild skin glowed with health, a tight six-pack and a patch of blonde hair lied above her clit.

By this time, Chang's heart was beating faster at the sight of his female squad mates bare of clothing and his pants felt tighter. He swallows when the two women direct their gaze to him and walk toward him, climbing onto the bed on all fours, Mori reaches Chang first claiming his lips in a passionate kiss that quickly turned in a heated French kiss. Both moan in pleasure as Chang's hands explore the young Japanese woman's body, feeling the creamy smooth skin under his touch. Catherine makes short work of the man's clothing leaving him bare.

It turns out Chang had a lean, beach body look with muscles that stood out proudly, an eight-pack and 7 inch penis that stood at attention.

'Holy shit!' Both women thought.

Catherine garbs the organ and strokes it while Mori kisses him.

After 10 minutes of teasing, Mori and Catherine quit their foreplay and look at the Chinese man.

Catherine asked, "Hey Chang, have you seen how girls pleasure each other?"

Chang shook his head, "No."

The young British pilot flashed a sly grin, "Then get ready! Make some room, please." Chang did so and the two women climb onto the bed.

Catherine sits down, leaning back with arms behind her to support her and motions for Mori to come toward with her finger, the slightly older woman does and matches her squad mate's posture and places her left leg over Catherine's and scoots closer until their pussies are touching making both pilots shake with pleasure. Recovering from the sensation Catherine winks at Chang before she and Mori start moving their hips causing their pussies to rub against each other.

Chang watches the sight of his wingmen pleasing one another in such an erotic position it made his member throb harder.

Mori and Catherine move faster causing them to moan louder, Mori reaches forward and gropes one of Catherine's large breasts and the British pilot returns the favor, groping Mori's smaller breast. Their skin had a slight sheen of sweat. A couple more thrusts and both pilots' bodies went stiff, jolts of ecstasy assaulting their nerves.

Mori was about to fall when the Catherine caught her, "Don't pass out now, there's still the main event." She gives Mori a minutes to regain her energy.

She gently pushes Chang down and straddles him, grinding her pussy against his cock soaking it in her juices. A minute later, she aligns her entrance with it and lowers herself screaming in pain when she felt her hymen break. Chang rubs the young woman's thigh to help ease the pain and Catherine mirrors the action from behind starting at her sides then move to her stomach while pressing her larger bust into her back whispering soothing words.

The pain eventually passes and Mori stares at Chang's face then starts rocking her hips moaning at the pleasure the simple maneuver brought. Liking the feeling Mori rocks back and forth again, a gasp escapes her when she feels Catherine rubs her breasts while her larger ones rub against Mori's back and running her tongue across the slightly older woman's neck in a teasing manner. The blush on Mori's face deepened and sped up her movements relishing the sensation.

Mori said, "Oh god, feels so good!" Her moaning increased when she feels Catherine's hand wander to her clit, rubbing the sensitive bulb in circles. Minutes tick by until Mori's quick pants and rapid thrusts indicate her climax was approaching. All she needed was one last push that Catherine provides rubbing her smaller breasts.

Catherine stated, "Let go, Mori." That did the trick because Mori's back arches, teeth clench as her whole body shakes in bliss. The next thing she feels is Chang's seed invading her depths filling her pussy with warmth. A minute passed then Mori catches herself to stop from collapsing onto her flight lead who was also coming down from his euphoric high.

Mori bends over to kiss Chang then climbs off shaking as the Chinese man's cock leaves her entrance. She next passes out.

Chang barely has time to react before Catherine tackled him and kisses the young man. She grabs hold of his cock and starts rubbing it bringing the flaccid member back to full erect, once that's done Catherine wraps one arm around Chang while holding his cock steady with the other. She lowers herself gritting her teeth as she did. Catherine lets out a scream of pain when she feels her virginity barrier break. Chang holds her close allowing Catherine to relax.

A minute passed before she pulled back and said to him, "I'm okay now, let's go." She slowly begins rocking her hips back and forth, the pain decreases rapidly and pleasure takes its place.

Chang asked, "You were a virgin this whole time?"

Catherine told him, "Come on, Chang. Sure I fooled around but I was not that desperate." She keeps one arm around her flight lead's neck while placing the other behind her for balance. Eventually the position was taking its toll on her arm so Catherine pushes Chang onto his back while putting her hands on his 8-pack and continues thrusting.

Chang tried to get up but Catherine gently pushes him back down, "No. Just lay there and enjoy, let me take care of this." She sat up straighter and begins groping her large breasts.

Chang stares at the young British woman. Her body moving up and down, gaping mouth that emitted moans of ecstasy, cheeks flushed and her perspiring skin reflecting the starlight outside of the bedroom window.

Catherine leans forward placing her hands above her flight lead's shoulders without losing her rhythm. Her blue eyes stare into Chang's dark brown, Catherine next leans down to kiss him and the young Chinese man grips her ass, groping the toned, soft flesh. He moves in sync with his female wing mate driving him into Catherine's depths. The blonde-haired pilot sits up and plants her hands on Chang's chest while Chang kept his on her butt. The two can feel the end approaching so Catherine moves as fast as humanly possible causing her large breasts to bounce wildly. Chang's teeth clench as he tried to hold off the impending climax bu Catherine's thrusts are too much and felt his control break.

Catherine arches her back and lets out an orgasmic cry when she felt Chang explode inside her, his seed painting her walls white. The British pilot's body convulsed with each shot until finally the orgasm dies and Catherine falls onto her flight lead breathing heavily. Lifting her head she kisses him passionately, while she didn't have romantic feelings for Chang she still considered him a friend and an honor to be his wing mate. The two feels their eyes getting heavy and soon pass out. Unknown to Catherine, a content smile forms on Chang's face.

A/N: Chapter 19 done.

I'm really sorry for the delay of this chapter. It was originally scheduled to be released before 2016 ended but I wanted to take a break from writing and get myself together after the shit 2016 threw at me. I'm back, though and promise to get this story done. I promise.

Nothing special occurs in the chapter.

Hibiki conquered his personal demons and found out he was a member of the First Generation.

Tianlong Squadron had a night they won't forget.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 20.

Vader 23A


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Unexpected Welcome Home and Rescue

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

A few days pass since Hibiki's spiritual rebirth and now Vandread Jura was guiding the Nirvana through the magnetic storm, the Vandread's shields protecting the ship in an aqua green sphere.

Hibiki examined some of the changes the Vandread had undergone, "Interesting, some areas have been upgraded. We can use these to avoid the smaller magnetic storms."

Jura announced, "You hear that, everyone? The new and improved Vandread Jura will elegantly tow you to Mejale! You better appreciate it!" Virtually the entire crew occupy the Nirvana's garden, excitement runs through them as the projection screen showed them the ETA.

Barnette mumbled, "Not much longer now." Duero sits alone inside the infirmary.

He asked himself, "Was the journey a long one? Hard to say." Gryphus Squadron, Tianlong Squadron and Ken Kitsuragi stare at the monitor. They didn't share the same enthusiasm the crew had because they didn't originate from this universe.

'Please. Even if I make it home, please allow me to stay with Mr. Alien.' Dita mentally prayed.

Ken was amazed on how much the crew's opinion about men had changed over the course of this journey. The whole propaganda bullshit about men and women being sworn enemies was no longer present, one individual that changed dramatically was the bridge bunny Celtic. She wore that childish bear suit to keep free herself germ free at the start of the journey but now she's discarded that and instead wore a variety of outfits ranging from cosplay outfits, kenoichi attire to her current choice of attire which was a striped bikini. Ken had a feeling she'll turn heads when she's fully grown.

He heard Misty telling the crew, "What makes you think the Harvesters haven't invaded Mejale yet? You are so full of yourselves if you think you won't get harvested the moment you enter Mejale territory."

Celtic asked her, "How can you say such a cruel thing?"

Misty replied, "No real reason. Your home planet is of no concern to me. Later."

Celtic gritted her teeth, "What a snotty little brat!" Out in space, the Nirvana collides with a rock.

Bart felt the impact and asked Hibiki upon recovering, _"Ow! Don't you think we'll make it at this rate?"_

Hibiki grinned, "You shouldn't a little problem bother you. I'm gonna make sure we get there to see our future."

Jura commented, "Oh, you sounded so mature. What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Hibiki looks at her bewildered. The shaking soon stops.

Dita said, "That was a close call."

Paiway agreed, "Absolutely, ribbit."

The redhead said, "Mr. Alien is doing so well!" She contacted him through the monitor, _"Mr. Alien!"_

Hibiki asked, "What?"

Dita told him, _"As a reward for your hard work, I promise to make you something real good when you get back!"_

The Vanguard pilot grinned, "Sounds good."

Jura frowned, "So what's going on between the two of you?"

Barnette appeared on a separate monitor and promised, _"Oh, stop pouting. I'll make something very special for you, Jura. So cheer up."_ Her close friend starts showering the Reg leader with affectionate words and blew kisses.

Jura then remembered, "You know this might sound strange but even if you became friends with Dita, you're still a guy. You won't be able to stay on Mejale!"

Hibiki answered, "That's not important. Stopping the Harvest is more important than some future event like that!"

Dita nodded, _"That's right! I will fight alongside Mr. Alien to the very end!"_

Jura asked him, "Then why don't we go ahead and make a baby?" That proclamation caused the duo's faces to light up.

Hibiki demanded, "Quit thinking about such trivial things, damn it! Besides, aren't you in a relationship with Eugene?"

That made her back off, "You're not being very honest, are you?" Parfet stops by the infirmary to pay Duero a visit.

She said, "Hey doctor, how are you?"

Duero answered, "Not bad."

The engineer said, "I noticed that when you get excited, the pitch in your voice becomes lower. Others' voices get higher."

Duero turned at her direction showing a smile on his face, "Should I be happy that someone likes to spend time observing me?"

Parfet smiled back, "Guess I'm a little nervous. My heart skipped a beat just now."

Duero asked, "Shall I examine you?"

The lead engineer waved her hands, "Oh no, I'm quite fine." Misty quietly observes them before venturing onto the skywalk above the Paksis.

Misty snorted, "Everyone's all cheerful. Fine, that makes me the outsider." She next heard her little companion alert her, "What is it, Q-Chan? Is something wrong with the Paksis?"

Pyoro came hovering over to her hold fliers, "Extra, extra! We're holding a celebration for our return to Mejale and Tarak!"

Misty glared at the white robot, "Not interested!"

Pyoro asked her, "Why are you grumpy? Are you lonely?"

The blue-haired teen snorted, "Me? Lonely? Don't be absurd!"

The white robot smiled, "I'm right!" Misty scoffs at the machine.

Suddenly the Paksis took control over Pyoro and the possessed robot hovered into the air, _"Alone. Solitude. Doubt. Nowhere to return to. Solitude."_

Misty asked him, "What do you mean by that? If I am alone, I'm content with that!" She gasped, "Wait, could it be the Paksis?" Inside the cockpit of Vandread Jura, the pilots continue their job. Well, Hibiki did while Jura stares out of the canopy.

She said, "You know, what do you think of the idea of a man and woman coming together and making a baby?"

Hibiki looked at her, "You're still going on about that? Seriously?"

Jura pointed at herself, "Would you like to try it out with me?"

Hibiki replied, "Would you stop with that? Besides, I don't even know how to make one! I don't believe Eugene would be thrilled knowing you're pregnant with another man's child!"

Jura slumped on the console, "Then how did Kyle know how to deliver Ezra's baby?"

Hibiki said, "It's not that he wanted to!"

The blonde-haired woman stated dryly, "You won't make a good Ohma with an attitude like that."

Hibiki blinked, "You mean a parent?" He closed his eyes in thought, "Come to think, I wonder what I'd teach my kids if I had any."

Jura stared at him, "You're still a kid yourself."

Hibiki replied, "Maybe I'm not just convincing. But I'd say something after showing results!"

Jura observed with a raised eyebrow, "Hm, you really have changed." Bart exits the helm and notices the bridge has no lighting, hearing commotion behind him Bart turns around and spots the crew starting the celebration without him.

Parfet beamed, "Everyone's having so much fun!"

Duero admitted, "I'm not so good with crowds."

The lead engineer grabbed his arm, "Then stick by my side." With that she pulls him forward.

Bart rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't imaging things, "Are you kidding me? They have that kind of relationship?" A beeping noise catches his attention and turns around to see BC in one of the bridge control consoles. Seeing an opportunity presenting itself, he crawls past the platinum-haired woman to ask her to come to the party with him.

Back with Misty, she asked the possessed Pyoro, "Are you lonely, too?"

The robot answered, _"Analyzing human emotions. The Paksis originally fused and separated at will. We split up during the research of space in this dimension. A part of us is currently quarantined."_

Misty asked, "But why?"

The entity went on, _"When the Paksis and research ship parted from Earth, there was an accident and entered a dormant phase."_

Misty wondered, "You said the Paksis separated so where's the other part? Do you want to be with it?"

The Paksis said, _"We are interacting with each other but the other side's connected to the humans of Earth."_

Misty blinked, "Connected to the humans of Earth?"

The Paksis replied, _"Yes. The dark, closed off feeling of doubt felt by the Earthlings has been turned into a cluster of negative conscience."_

At that point, Misty realized, "Then you're fighting with one of your friends!" She reached out to hug the robot, "You're calling out yet you're enemies. You're very lonely too, right?" BC tells Magno they'll be out of the magnetic storm in 5 minutes. The crew loves the sound of that and Magno praised them for a job well done.

Gryphus Squadron, Tianlong Squadron and Ken have a glass of punch in their hands while watching through the large observation window the cloud of the magnetic give way to the black, star-filled blanket of outer space. They gaze at each other.

Ken said, "Cheers." Their glasses light tap before taking a sip.

Chang asked his former mentor, "I was expecting you to have a girlfriend by now."

Ken gave a him a deadpanned look, "You're not the only one that said it. One of my squad mates told me the same thing. When you've been through 2 wars and lived through that shit, you'd be hesitant to start too without getting your head together. Besides, once I retire I'll consider pursing a relationship. Besides being single does have its perks, Chang. For example, you'll save more money since you won't have to worry about getting something for Valentine's Day or an anniversary gift. Another perk is you are more likely to stay in shape. Once you get tied down it's hard to find time to work out." Up on the bridge, BC sighs in relief. Their journey was almost over.

Bart cleared his throat to gain her attention, "Excuse me, commander." The platinum-haired woman looked at him as he continued, "Pardon for my sudden intrusion but I was wondering if you could join me in this party. From the looks of things, you could afford to relax. You don't have to be so tense all the time, it's bad for your health."

BC smiled, "I appreciate your concern, Bart. Unfortunately, I have matters to attend to."

Bart pressed on, "Come on, commander. Don't be shy."

BC replied, "I'm sorry, Bart but I can't."

The helmsman slumped, "I understand. Well, see ya." He walks past her to enter the helm.

Inside Vandread Jura, the Dread pilot whined, "Hey, you're starting the party without me!"

'A place to return to, huh?' Hibiki thought.

Dita contacted him, _"Mr. Alien, come back you're missing the fun."_

The Vanguard pilot answered back, "Chill out, I'm coming back." With that he disengages the shield and steers the Vandread toward the hanger. The machine defuses seconds before landing.

Meia finds Misty sitting on the walkway hugging her legs.

She said, "I suspected I would find you here. Let's go spend time with the others."

Misty informed, "Paksis would feel lonely so I decided to keep it company."

Meia closed her eyes, "Then I'll stay too." The red-eyed teen stares at her big sister figure.

The crew pulls the string of poppers as a welcome back for Jura and Hibiki.

She greeted them, "Hello girls, I'm back!"

Dita smiled, "Welcome back!"

Barnette smiled as well, "Nice work, Jura." Jura ran to her close friend as the Reg leader asked her, "Aren't you going a little overboard?"

Jura said with teary eyes, "But I missed so much! You've been so busy with regulations, we barely spend time together."

Barnette stroked the blonde's hair, "Oh, Jura." Dita and Hibiki stare at one another then away with blushes on their faces.

Parfet looked around, "Where's Misty?"

Hibiki replied, "Maybe she feels she doesn't fit in here."

Back with Misty, she admitted to Meia, "I tried denying to myself I wasn't lonely. If I did, I would start to doubt. But now I'm afraid of being all alone."

Meia told her, "I used to feel the same way as you, Misty. At the beginning, I always sought solitude. If I didn't trust anyone I wouldn't be betrayed. If I kept myself from getting close to someone I wouldn't be hurt. And I hated myself for thinking like that. This journey taught me it's okay to open up to others, they'll be there for you whenever you feel alone. I want to be there for my friends and for the man I love." She gives Misty a smile then helps her up. They head for the exit when they spot Dita standing in their way.

She grabbed the red-eyed girl's hand, "Come on, Misty. Everyone's waiting for us!" Arriving at the party Dita went on, "It must be troubling if you didn't know how people feel but you can trust on us to be here for you. You're never alone here, Misty. I know, when we reach home you can stay with me! That should be fun."

Misty rejected, "Sorry but I'm not interested in becoming some UFO nut!" She lightens up and Dita giggles.

Inside the helm, Bart sulked after BC's rejection, "I know it seems weird for a man of Tarak to be rejected by a woman from Mejale but I'm so upset about it!" An alarm sounds and multiple computer screens show a frightening sight in front of the Nirvana.

Amarone informed, "Mines everywhere! The whole sector is one big minefield!"

Ezra added, "It appears to be some perimeter defense for Tarak!"

Magno cried, "For Tarak?"

Amarone said, "There's an audio signal."

A separate monitor and the audio informed, _"This is the Tarak Space Self-Defense System. Please state your ship's identification code. If you fail to respond, we'll commence attack."_

Hibiki appeared on the monitor asking, _"What do you want us to do?"_

Magno ordered, "Stand down! This minefield stops or at least slows down attacks coming from Earth!"

The Tarak Space Self-Defense System said, _"No identification code has been announced. We will designate you as an enemy. Commencing defensive attack mode."_

BC whispered, "Oh no!"

Magno wondered, "A Tarak identification code. Don't you men have something like that?"

Bart informed the old pirate from within the helm, _"Identification codes are only offered to senior officers! We were junior officers still in training!"_

Duero said, "I regret to say it but I wasn't assigned one either."

Hibiki cursed,_ "Damn it, same goes for me."_ The atmosphere changes when the defense system's gun turrets take aim. A countdown shows the crew had 2 minutes and 30 seconds before the turrets fire.

Barnette said, "To think we'd be shot down by Tarak after coming so far." The timer quickly reaches 1 minute and 50 seconds to firing.

Bart yelled, "Damn it, why didn't I get Grand Pa's code when I had the chance?!" By the time Duero and Parfet reach the sub-bridge, Belvedere states there was only 30 seconds left!

Parfet said, "Right now, we should focus on disabling the targeting system rather than destroying it outright."

Duero admitted, "Strange. I feel less uncertain around you."

Parfet turned her head smiling at the doctor, "Same here." She disables one mine.

Amarone started the final countdown, "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1..." Suddenly BC reaches up to the gem on her choker and touches it, there's a brief chime then it changes to a red a color.

She said in a male voice, "Tenmei Urasagumi of the Tarak Empire Special Investigation Bureau. Rank: Commander. Identification code: Kanoe-2038. Commence confirmation."

Several agonizing seconds tick by until the SSDS informed, _"Code confirmed. We pray for your ship's success."_ The minefield opens up a path for the Nirvana to pass through.

The undercover Tarak spy said, "Ezra, leave a marker at our current location."

Ezra replied, "Sure!"

Tenmei ordered, "Attention all crew, we are taking custody of a spy to the brig. Send two security guards to the bridge immediately!"

Amarone asked, "Who are you?"

Magno apologized, "I'm sorry you had to do that. There wasn't much choice."

Tenmei looked at Magno with utter shock, "You mean you knew all along?" The old woman gave him a smile and he sighed with one of his own, "I'm sorry I deceived you all, you're truly wonderful people. However short it may had been, it was an honor to serve under you, captain." Magno closes her eyes.

Two guards appear to escort Tenmei to the brig leaving Bart in a state of shock and disbelief. He wasn't the only one. Tianlong, Gryphus Squadron and Ken were equally surprised. They weren't expecting that.

Hibiki runs through the hallway and spots Tenmei and 2 guards approaching, the Vanguard pilot stops in his tracks as they walk past him making the lad wonder how it came to this.

Once entering the cell, Tenmei asked, "What's wrong? Activate the grid."

The guard started, "But I..."

Tenmei cut her off, "Do it!" After she did the undercover spy assured her, "Don't worry, I won't plan on escaping." The two guards leave the room just as Duero and Hibiki enter.

Hibiki demanded, "Why? Tell me why the leaders of Tarak would go this far?"

Tenmei answered, "The relationship between the two planets have become irreparable."

Duero queried, "What I'd like to know is how you fit into all of this. What would the chances of us surviving this long if you were not a guy? If there's one thing this journey has taught me is that my previous education left a few things out. I have also discovered that people have the capacity to change under their own free will. This ship is proof of that. Wouldn't you agree, commander?" Another alarm sounds.

Amarone stated, "Captain, we are surrounded by ships from Tarak!"

Belvedere added, "Not just from Tarak but Mejale as well!" Tenmei braces himself for the upcoming chain of events.

The crew watches the two fleets close in on their location.

Belvedere alerted, "The Tarak fleet is approaching the Nirvana!"

Bart begged, "Don't shoot. I beg you!" Kyle clenches his fist tight enough to pop knuckles as he glares at the approaching fleet. He spins on the balls of his feet and runs for the hanger, as he did his mind was processing the unexpected development. The crew endured one whole damn year of facing the Harvesters to return and warn their home planets of the impending danger but instead of greeted with open arms they are treated as hostiles due to them being space pirates except for Alex, Eugene, Catherine, Chang, Mori, Ken and himself. What's more is that BC turned out to be an undercover spy for Tarak. Well, he sure as hell ain't interested in being taken as prisoner or brain washed by Tarak's propaganda bullshit. He also had a feeling Tarak would want to acquire the F-22 Raptors, J-20s, E-3 Sentry II and Fenrir to give them the edge in their pitiful war with Mejale. Well, not on his watch!

Arriving at the hanger, he types on his mini-computer establishing a connection with the fighter jets. He imputes the security code he installed with Parfet's help a few weeks ago should an event like this happen. The airplanes' emergency lockdown activates, locking the canopies and activating Fenrir's Optical Camouflage.

A message appeared on the mini-computer screen, "Lockdown complete." With that taken cared of, Kyle heads out to search for his fellow pilots. Luckily, they saved him the trouble as they meet him halfway.

Ken asked, "Where did you go, Kyle?"

The Aurelian replied, "I just went to activate the lockdown system in our airplanes so Tarak won't use them. Here's the plan."

Back at the bridge, Amarone informed, "Captain, we are receiving a transmission from the Tarak fleet. It says: 'Attention pirates of Mejale, prepare for an unconditional surrender.' That's all it says."

Misty raised an eyebrow, "What for? How come they won't talk to us directly?"

Pyoro answered, "On Tarak they say if you speak to a woman, your ears and vocal cords will explode."

Misty gagged, "Absolutely gross!"

Ezra added, "We're receiving a message from the Mejale fleet as well. It says: 'If you comply with Tarak's demand, we will evacuate you and your crew!' What do you want to do, captain?"

Magno contemplated her options before answering, "I think it'd be best not to push our luck." At the brig, Duero, Hibiki and Tenmei hear the alarm.

Hibiki asked, "Now what?"

Duero asked the undercover spy, "How do you think Tarak will react to all of this?"

Tenmei informed, "What happens next depends on how the captain handles the information about the harvest."

Duero hummed, "So in other words, the harvest is our trump card."

Tenmei looked at the ground for a second then told the doctor, "Not quite. There's another card to play." Duero looks at him in confusion until Tenmei tells him exactly what that card is while Mejale ship docks with the Nirvana and the boarding party enters. They point their guns at the crew and wore the same suits the Nirvana crew used during the Ikazuchi raid.

Paiway stated, "Women are scary. Never imagined I would say that." They point their guns at the young nurse, scaring her.

Meia yelled, "Stop that! She's only a child!" One member of the boarding party slams Meia to the ground and puts hand cuffs on her as the others split up to search for others. Dita and Parfet get captured while the redhead made boxed lunches for Hibiki, Bart, Duero and Tenmei since she knew they'd be going back to eating those horrible tasting pills.

Two boarding party members search for Mori and Catherine when the said women's hands emerge from the shadows of a hallway and pull them in. A series of struggles and fists hitting flesh echo through the empty hallway before a snap of bone happens, ending the struggle. Mori and Catherine step into the light wearing the space suits with the laser rifle in one hand and the helmet/mask in the other. They put the final piece of attire on then head to join the boarding party.

Jura meets up with Barnette in Reg Central where the dark green-haired woman was typing on the console.

The blonde ordered, "Come on, Barnette! We need to go!"

Barnette replied, "Give me a few more minutes!" She noticed her close friend holding a bunch of stuff, "What are you doing with that?"

Jura smiled sheepishly, "Oh, these items aren't easy to come by."

Barnette elaborated, "Not that, I mean the book!"

Jura blushed, "Oh, I thought it'd come in handy when the need arises."

Her close friend wondered, "You're still obsessed about that?"

Jura said, "Anyway what were you doing just now?"

The dark green-haired woman replied, "Security. That way they won't hack in and do whatever they want to the ship." They hear running coming towards them and Barnette looks up to see the boarding party, she taps the button under the desk behind her back to activate the security lock.

Some other members of the boarding party search for Kyle, Alex, Eugene and Ken but can't find them so they move onward. The door to a room slides open for Kyle to poke his head to look both directions to see if coast is clear. When it is he gestures with his hand for the others to come out. All of them had their g-suits on. Kyle had his katana, knife and M9 pistol, Alex had his squad leader's glaive. Kyle gave it to him as a sign of respect.

Chang had his knife and pistol with a silencer attached while Ken was unarmed stating his fists were all he needed.

The remaining members reach the bridge and point their weapons at the personnel.

Magno said in sarcasm, "Oh my, you certainly have a way of welcoming us home. I guess we'll accept your invitation." Hibiki, Duero, Bart and Pyoro reach the skywalk inside the engine room.

Duero placed a hand against the railing while looking at the Paksis, "You know, this is some ironic twist of fate. This is where you first met Dita. In fact there was where we all first met. Here we discovered the origin of men and women and a world we haven't seen yet."

Hibiki shot them a suspicious glare, "What are you guys up to? I don't like being left in the dark about stuff."

Duero gave Hibiki a sympathetic smile, "Oh, don't worry about them. Bart's been like that ever since the whole thing with the commander and it's tough on Pyoro being separated from Sara."

Hibiki smirked, "You discovered I'm a member of the first generation, right?"

Duero nodded, "That's right. You certainly are." When Hibiki starts telling him about how he can convince the higher-ups the Vanguard pilot feels a stinging sensation in his butt. Turning around he sees Duero hold an injection gun, Hibiki feels his legs going limp and his vision blurry then falls into the Paksis.

Bart said, "The Paksis swallowed him!"

Pyoro nodded, "It's keeping him safe."

Duero explained, "They had no idea Hibiki was to begin with. This way he will serve as the ace up our sleeve."

Bart asked, "Where did you get that idea?"

The doctor answered, "You can thank the commander for that."

The bald helmsman whined, "I don't wanna talk about that right now!" He falls to the ground anime style.

Pyoro asked, "What should I do?"

Bart got up and rubbed the white robot's mercilessly, "Just lie around and play dead!"

Pyoro exclaimed, "Stop it! That hurts!" A Tarak rescue party unlocks the cells that held other men prisoner.

One said to Duero, "I feared they'd eaten you alive."

Duero shrugged, "I guess they weren't that hungry." Tenmei steps out of his cell and one guard removes the handcuffs.

He saluted the undercover spy before saying, "This way, sir. The Prime Minister is waiting for you." The boarding party finishes loading onto the ship and departs while Bart watches other Tarak ships secure the Nirvana little do they know they have some extra passengers with them.

Inside the Mejale court room, a session was underway.

The judge looked at the Hello Baby book with disgust, "How revolting!" She threw the book to the ground, "Burn it immediately!" One court guard obeys the order.

Jura demanded, "Hey, give it back!"

The judge pointed an accusing finger at the Dread pilot, "Be quiet, Ms. Elden! Were you attempting to convert others to your sinful ways? You're a witch! Admit it, Ms. Elden! Not just you but everyone of your friends are nothing than despicable witches!"

Jura glared at her, "A witch? Where do you go around calling me that?! You're the witch here not me!"

Misty whispered to Meia, "I guess what they say about Mejale is true. In a way is it a nice place."

The Judge sat down, "From what I heard, you fooled the public about a harvesting operation and used it as justification for a coup de tat."

Parfet raised an eyebrow, "A coup de tat?"

Barnette said, "Sheesh, talk about playing the victim!"

Magno objected, "We didn't know anything about the latter." The jury whisper to each other.

Misty stated in bewilderment, "They haven't been informed about the harvest, they're completely in the dark!"

The judge ordered, "By the power of Lord Grand Ma, you are hereby sentenced to life! Take them away!" Sara begins to cry and Ezra tries to calm her infant.

Mia said, "You're ungrateful, you know that?"

The lime green-haired judge turned around, "What did you say?" Mia glares at her with utter disdain.

She continued, "We risked our lives for one whole year to get back here and warn you and Tarak about the danger heading this way. But instead of reading our message you misinterpret it as some coup de tat attempt. Are you stupid or just ignorant. Our planets are facing total annihilation and you fools are continuing this bigoted war against Tarak when we should unite to face the Harvesters. I should flay the skin from your bones!"

The Mejale judge ordered, "I've heard enough! Take them away!"

The guards led them to a prisoner transport ship as Mia said, "You're making a mistake by doing this, bitch!"

Magno calmly said, "That's enough, Mia. You did your best to convince her but it's obvious she doesn't want to listen." Mia tightly balls her fist.

Unknown to them Catherine and Mori, in their disguise, follow them. They board the ship without letting their presence be known. Yet.

In the Prime Minister's office on Tarak, he gives Tenmei a medal.

He praised, "The information you've given us will prove to be very useful in our against those women. Lord Grand Pa is most pleased with your accomplishment."

Tenmei saluted his superior, "Thank you very much, sir."

The Prime Minister looked at his spy's womanly chest with discomfort, "Don't you think you could have done something with...you know."

Tenmei shook his head, "Not until you say my mission is complete." He flashed the bald man a grin, "Why? Don't you like this look?"

The Prime Minister said, "That will be all. You are dismissed." Once Tenmei was gone the bald man regained his composure, "We have two objectives. First, we must re-educate Duero and Bart. They have been interacting with the women judging by the videos we saw. That kind of stuff will not be tolerated by the strong men of Tarak. Second, I want those mysterious aircraft found on the Ikazuchi. They might help us turn the tide against those vile women." Elsewhere on the desert planet, two guards stand outside a prisoner building that housed the most dangerous criminals.

One stretched, "Man, I'm so bored. Fighting those women sounds real nice about now. If something doesn't happen I'll..." He doesn't finish that sentence because his head gets sliced horizontally, the body falls to the ground with a thud and blood pours out of the cut.

The other guard stands there shocked by what he saw then felt strong arms wrap around his neck.

Kyle ordered, "Tell me where I can find your boss." When he didn't get an answer he tightened his grip, "Quickly. The Prime Minister is..."

The guard said, "In the office building directly ahead."

Kyle stated, "Good." After that, he releases his hold and thrusts his wrist blade through the guy's chest with a sickening crunch and Alex picks up both of their guns which were Scorpion sub-machine guns with a bayonet attached for close-range combat. He then places the extra magazines in holsters attached to the belt of his g-suit. Kyle sees the lock to the prisoner facility is a palm print scanner so he takes of the one guards and puts his palm on it. The device scans the appendage before flashing green indicating the scan was improved and the door opens while the Aurelian tosses the dead body aside.

He and Alex venture into the facility, as they did they see numerous men locked up in their cells. Some of the prisoners gave them a deathly glare, some gave a pleading look and some had a mixture of both. Arriving at the very last cell, Kyle and Alex see Ken, Eugene and Chang free of the handcuffs and arming themselves with the same SMGs Alex had.

Ken asked, "What took you guys so long?"

Alex said, "We had to avoid security. This area of Tarak is heavily guarded it's like a maze on this planet."

Kyle ordered, "Let's go. You guys go find Duero and Bart, I'm sure the Prime Minister has ordered them be re-educated in the planet's ways of seeing women as the sworn enemy."

Eugene asked, "What about you, sir?"

Kyle replied, "We're paying the Prime Minister a visit. Come, Alex. Oh yeah, if you meet any resistance during your rescue mission, crush them. Let's move!" The four head out and part ways.

Arriving at the entrance to the building, Kyle draws his katana and wrist blade while Alex loads a fresh clip into each of his weapons.

(Graphic violence ahead)

A pair of Tarak men enter the hallway after returning from their lunch break when they see a grenade roll in front of them. They only have enough time to gasp before the grenade explodes turning them into chunks of meat. Alex hears running coming towards them he soon spots the silhouettes of armed men so he points his twin SMGs ahead of him and fires, a run of bullets find their way to the target. The Tarak men scream as their bodies get filled with lead. Kyle charges forward at blinding speed just as more personnel appear he raises the katana and swings it in a horizontal strike cutting one guard, beheading another with his wrist blade painting the walls red.

Not wanting be outdone, Alex gets up close and personal and cuts down his enemies with the bayonet, he brings his gaze up in time to see one Tarak gunman pulling the pin of a grenade and shoots it before the man could throw it. The grenade explodes in his hand. Kyle and Alex soon reach a fork in the hallway and looking both directions, Alex spots the enemy trying to box them in but the two aren't fazed. The younger Aurelian points the dual Scorpions in both directions and fires. The approaching group of enemies fall on the spot, the spent shells liter the floor and Alex reloads. One Tarak somehow survived but was shot in both legs, he hisses from the pain and looks up to see Kyle staring down at him with his helmet. The leader of Gryphus Squadron brings his boot up and crushes the man's head, staining his boot with the guy's brains. He and Alex methodically walk through the hallway straight ahead, mowing down any who stood in their way.

Commotion catches Kyle's attention, turning his head right he discovers a door leading to the cafeteria. The door slides open and the occupants look at the new arrivals before Kyle murders everyone inside, soldiers and pilots alike. Blood drips from his weapons. Behind the dark visor of his helmet, Kyle's eyes glow an evil red and a homicidal grin etched on his face while Alex's was devoid of emotion save for the look of murder in his eyes. A sole survivor of the cafeteria massacre tries to attack Kyle's blind spot but he reverses the grip on his sword and drives it through the fool's chest and quickly pulls it out.

Kyle ordered, "Let's move up." Alex nods.

Elsewhere in the building, Ken, Eugene and Chang encountered resistance though nowhere near the scale Kyle and Alex faced. Blood coated the uniforms they stole from the prison guards.

It was currently quiet as they ride an elevator down to the torture chamber.

Chang asked, "Why do you think Kyle had you come with us, Eugene?"

Eugene said, "Most likely doesn't want me exposed to the bloody carnage Kyle must be doing as we speak."

Ken crossed his arms, "More like doesn't want your soul become tainted, Eugene."

Eugene shrugged, "I suppose you're right." They heard the elevator chime, "We're here." They instinctively back into the walls just as the doors open and bullets fly in.

They wait for the firing to stop and when it did, the group fires back. Needless to say, the Tarak men didn't stand a chance.

Chang said, "Pffft, that was easy."

Ken ordered, "Keep moving. We should be getting close to the torture room." The Mejale prison transport ship arrives at asteroid field that served as the prison.

Magno and her crew stand in one of the cars then feel a thud as the ship docks with the facility.

The old woman saw Meia standing there all quiet, prompting her to ask, "Are you scared, Meia?"

The Dread leader answered, "Not really."

Magno smiled, "Don't think about it too much. It's not one of your habits."

Meia looked at the roof, "I just wonder what Hibiki would say if he was here."

The pirate leader said, "He'd most likely ask the same thing as you."

Meia smiled, "Yeah." The crew are escorted to their cells, as they were they spot numerous other women sitting there wondering if their sentencing was done.

One of the female prisoner gasped upon seeing the old pirate, "Wait, are you Magno Vivan?" The old woman smirked at her, "I knew it!" This causes the prisoners to erupt in cheering as they felt their savior had arrived.

The prisoner guard shouted, "Shut up, all of you!"

Misty said in amazement, "I never knew you were this popular."

Jura smiled, "Even though we're space pirates, we still like to have fun."

Barnette asked her close friend while showing her cuffed hands, "You mental, Jura? How can you call locked up in prison fun?!" Inside the Paksis, Hibiki starts coming to after the effects of the sedative wear off though his posterior still stung.

He groaned, "Damn those guys, they set me up!" He then witnessed the Paksis flashing the familiar red light, "The enemy's coming, right? Well, there is no point in cowering so shut up and watch!" A blinding white light envelops and when it fades, he was outside the Nirvana's engine room. He wanders through the empty hallways in search of anyone but had no luck. That is until Pyoro hovers over to him.

The white robot filled him in, "Everyone was evacuated while you were inside the Paksis."

Hibiki frowned at the news, "So it's just us. We don't have much time before the enemy arrives."

Pyoro said, "Barnette placed the ship in lockdown mode so the men couldn't take control of the ship."

Hibiki groaned, "She's so damn sneaky. Will you hurry and get back here?" Ken, Chang and Eugene soon arrive on the floor the torture room was on and pick up the sound of a whip hitting flesh and cries of pain. That was their cue to hurry.

Inside the room, Bart screams in pain as he feels the whip tearing at his flesh.

His torturer demanded, "Swear allegiance to Lord Grand Pa!"

Bart said, "Fuck you! No matter how much you try we won't change our values!" He grunts as the man resumes the whipping.

Duero groaned, "Bart!"

The other torturer had a sick smile on his face, "You know there's only one way to save your friend. All you have you to say is 'All hail, Lord Grand Pa!' That's you have to do."

Duero glared at him defiently, "No. Women are nothing like the monsters they are portrayed as in those propaganda films our planet uses. They are wonderful to hang with. It's you who is blinded by our planet's belief that women must be eradicated." The man was about to hit him when the door opens and the man's brains splatter onto the wall next to Duero. The torturer hitting Bart whips around to see who fired that shot when he gets shot as well.

Duero and Bart look at the person responsible and discover it was Ken. The Usean walks forward, plants his foot on the dead man's chest and empties the rest of his gun.

Chang raised an eyebrow at that, "Wow, overkill much?" Directing his attention to Duero and Bart, Ken walks over cutting the rope suspending Bart's arms over his head and grabs the device that controlled the handcuffs for Duero. The doctor rubs his wrists.

Bart said, "You guys took your sweet time getting here. Wait, where's Kyle?" The look Ken gave him made realize, "I see." They hear the door open again and they spot Tenmei stepping through the doorway.

He stated, "I was going to free Bart and Duero myself but you three did it for me. Let's go, the captain's waiting." He tossed the medal he was awarded and said, "It's annoying. I got enough bouncing on my chest as it is."

Chang nodded, "He's right. My gut's telling me the Harvesters will be here soon. Oh, by the way." He left hooked Tenmei, "That's for hiding the fact you were an undercover spy for Tarak."

Tenmei rubbed his cheek, "Guess I deserved that one."

Ken donned a serious expression, "You guys better head back to the Nirvana, I suspect the ladies are about to get out of their predicament. We need to retrieve our planes." Tenmei, Duero and Bart board a shuttle to escape Tarak while Ken, Chang and Eugene head for the hanger Tenmei said was holding their fighter jets.

Meanwhile, Kyle and Alex finally reach the top floor where their prey awaited. Kyle walks out of the elevator serving as a shield for Alex, the armed Tarak soldiers fire at him but the aura generated by the Onryo Mode dissolves the bullets on contact.

One Tarak soldier asked, "What the hell is this? The bullets aren't getting through!" Underneath his helmet, Kyle's eyes bore holes into the fools before him.

Alex runs around his squad leader and slashes one Tarak soldier's throat and throws the glaive into the chest of another before quickly pulling it out. Kyle slices diagonally through his opponent's ribcage with a loud crack of bone and beheads the guy next to him with the wrist blade. A maniacal laugh escapes Kyle as he bathes in the bloodshed he and Alex were doing. Kyle next grabs another Tarak soldier by the neck and blocks a stab attack from the fool's comrade. This allows Alex to sneak up and stabs him through the back. Keeping his focus on the guy held in his iron grip, Kyle smashes the skull against the hard wall shattering the bone on contact. Gripping the hilt in both hands, Alex charges at a group of four Tarak soldiers slaughtering them in a dancing motion. His flight lead stabs his final victim in the eyes with the wrist blade. Pulling the weapon out he lets the body slide to the ground.

The Prime Minister just go done being informed that Bart and Duero have escaped with some outside help. He grits his teeth in anger. As if his problems aren't bad enough his men couldn't gain access to the fighter jets. Suddenly and violently the doors to his office are kicked off their hinges and Alex enters the room covered in blood.

The bald man said, "What the hell?" He next hears something sharp pierce the wood of his desk, the assailent deactivates the cloaking device revealing a blood stained Kyle glaring at him. Retracting the wrist blade the Aurelian steps over the desk, grabs the Prime Minister's throat and pins him to the wall behind him. Alex stands by his flight lead's side.

Kyle seethed, "I believe we haven't been introduced. My name is Kyle Masterson aka Gryphus 1. This man next to me is Alex Irvine. His call sign is Gryphus 2." It was like a light bulb switched on because they see the man's beady eyes widen.

That expression changed to anger, "Now I remember. You helped those women steal the Ikazuchi." The stench of blood on them was overwhelming.

Kyle said, "It's called the Nirvana not the Ikazuchi! Did you really believe I would forget who ordered those rookie Vanguard pilots to shoot us down?"

Alex scoffed, "They were complete amateurs."

Kyle cried, "How high above ground are we? 1 mile? 2 miles? Let's find out." Still holding the man's throat they walked over to the window, "Prime Minister of Tarak, you are charged with attempted murder and refusing to accept the warning of the Harvesters approaching. How do you plead?"

The Prime Minister said, "The strong men of Tarak will triumph over the vile women."

Kyle bared his teeth, "I'd normally consider maiming you but I am short on time. Enjoy hell, fucker." He pulls the arm back, concentrates his strength and thrusts the arm forward catapulting the Prime Minister out the window. The two pilots watch their target fall until he disappears from sight.

Alex heard the radio in his helmet and said, "Go ahead."

Ken said, _"We finished rescuing Duero and Bart and recovered our fighters. Yours are heading your way via autopilot."_

Alex replied, "Cool. We're done on our part. We'll rendezvous at the Nirvana." They soon hear the roar of jet engines and spot the F-22 and Fenrir closing in with open canopies, they jump in and the canopies lock in place.

The AA defenses of the Mejale prison get destroyed from a surprise attack, plunging the facility into chaos.

The prison guard outside the Nirvana crew's cell enter a struggle with a disguised person. The masked assailent rips the key off the guard's belt, throws it to her partner and pushes the prison guard over the railing sending the fool to her death.

Mia asked, "Who are you?" The saviors take off their mask/helmet to show their faces.

Dita gasped, "Mori! Catherine!" They're soon joined by more who immediately take their space suits.

One was a beautiful young woman around her late 20s, wore a decorative light blue dress, blue-green hair that reached the small of her back, purplish eyes and mild skin tone.

The other was a Dread pilot with short fiery red hair, stood around Meia's height, slightly younger, light purple eyes, deeply tanned skin, wore a flight suit like Meia except hers was brown and white with a pinkish tint.

The blue-green-haired woman said, "Captain."

Dita smiled, "It's the girls that stayed behind at the camp!"

Ezra approached her, "Rebecca!"

The now mentioned greeted back, "Hi, Ezra!" She then saw the baby, "Who's that?"

Ezra showed Rebecca her child, "Say hello to your Ohma, Sara!" Pure unadulterated joy forms on Rebecca's face and Catherine unlocks the cell, allowing the Mejale pirates to leave.

Magno said, "We need to retake the Nirvana."

Rebecca asked, "What's that?"

Magno smirked, "It's a ship like no other." Ken, Eugene, Kyle, Chang and Alex dock with the Nirvana at the same time as the Tarak shuttle.

The door to the Nirvana opens for the crew to see Hibiki sitting on a crate finishing the boxed lunch Dita while he waited for them.

Dita gasped, "Mr. Alien!"

Hibiki waved at them, "What's up?"

The redhead asked in surprise, "You're eating like that?"

Hibiki licked his fingers clean, "You can't fight on an empty stomach, right? Besides this stuff isn't bad half cold." Dita happily accepts the compliment of her cooking and says she'll make more.

Jura shook her head, "What is it with those two?

Pyoro spotted, "Pyoro 2!" He suddenly gets stopped by Rebecca's hand.

The woman asked, "What is this thing?"

Pyoro said, "I'm Pyoro 2's father!"

Rebecca glared at him, "What the hell is Pyoro 2?!"

The white robot told her, "Pyoro 2 is my baby!" A balled fist slams Pyoro to the ground, the robot groans in pain. The crew looked ahead to Kyle standing there with his comrades.

He scolded, "For fuck's sake, Pyoro how many times have I told you Sara is not a robot? She's a human baby! You call her Pyoro 2 one more time, I will have Parfet reprogram you into thinking you're a mechincal frog. Is that clear?"

Ezra covered her baby's eyes as she saw the now dry blood stains on his and comrades' g-suits, "My goodness, what happened to you?"

Alex said, "Wanted some payback for that Prime Minister of Tarak for what he did to us prior to the start of this journey."

Hibiki asked with trepidation, "W-what happened to him?"

Kyle answered, "Killed him." Hibiki was about to say something but ultimately decided not to.

Misty whined, "Just you know, I now have a criminal record and I'm not from Mejale!"

Hibiki demanded, "Type in the password already!"

Barnette asked him, "You haven't figured it out yet? It's a motto we all live by." She typed on the data pad and showed him, "See?" It displayed the word "Smile".

Hibiki grunted, "Always cheesy lines."

Meia approached him, "Stop whining. Let's go, we have an upcoming battle to win. You ready?" The Vanguard pilot nods and the crew head to the battle stations.

Bart entered the bridge and saluted to Magno, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Bart Garsus reporting for duty." He enters the helm afterward.

Magno sensed Tenmei's presence, "Are you going to run away again? I don't recall relieving you of duty as commander. I assume you'll return to us as Buzam?"

Tenmei entered the bridge and asked, "Does that mean you forgive me?"

Magno said, "Whether you are forgiven or not isn't important. However..." She shot him a stern look before it softened into a smile, "Could you go back to the voice you were using before?"

Tenmei realized what she meant and smiled as well, "Very well." He presses the gem on the choker again it flashes before it turns green signaling he resumed the identity of BC.

Ezra asked, "Where to, commander?" BC nods to the gentle bridge bunny and throws the Tarak uniform off revealing she still wore her normal attire underneath.

BC ordered, "All hands, perform a diagnosis of the ship. Bart, set course for 524!" Bart acknowledges the order, happy that the commander was back just like the rest of the crew. Another wave of pain strikes Magno's heart causing her to lean forward while clenching her chest. She takes a few deep breaths.

She spoke through the pain, "Listen up! No matter how hard the situation may get, don't even think of chickening out! We still got a future ahead of us so I want you all to fight with everything you got!" Inside the hanger Gryphus Squadron, Tianlong Squadron and Ken feel anxiety well up inside them. This was it. The final battle with the Harvesters was at hand. It's time to show Earth it made a huge mistake with this harvesting operation.

Of course, they know Earth will be throwing everything they got.

A/N: Chapter 20 done. Only two left.

I decided to combine the celebration and rescue chapters into one.

Kyle hadn't forgotten what the Prime Minister tried to him and his wingmen during the Ikazuchi raid. So he and Alex unleashed their fury while Ken, Chang Eugene went to rescue Duero and Bart and recover their fighters

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 21.

Vader 23A


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Endgame

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

Now that everyone was back together, the Nirvana crew prepares to put an end to Earth's harvesting operation for good. The engineers work on last-minute tune ups or inspections. They know it'd be foolish to think their strength alone will make the crew triumph over the Harvesters. At the same time the crew knows if Earth isn't stopped, whatever resistance that dared to challenge them will fall and harvested for their chosen organs. The universe would enter a time of darkness and tyranny never witnessed by what remained of mankind.

Gryphus Squadron, Tianlong Squadron and Ken felt no remorse battling Earth for they understood the people that remain on the dead planet weren't part of the human race anymore. They must be stopped no matter what.

Kyle oversees the Reg crew loading up Fenrir, E-3 Sentry II, F-22 Raptor, Falken and J-20s. He only had time to clean his helmet of blood from his and Alex's rampage. Looking to his right, he spots Ken, Eugene and Tianlong Squadron engaging in civil chatter perhaps as a way to prepare themselves for the battle ahead. He on the other hand was looking forward to it. More Harvest units to dismantle.

Hibiki runs a diagnosis of his Vanguard when he senses someone approaching and brings his head up to spot BC standing there.

She commented, "You look more mature than you did at the start of this journey."

Hibiki cocked his head, "Oh? Flattering won't get you anywhere with me but I accept the compliment." BC was about to leave when Hibiki stopped her, "Hold on. I wanted to thank you, I mean when I used my Vanguard for the first time. I acted foolishly and had no idea how to prove my existence but then you opened my eyes and I stopped being a hot-headed brat. So far that, I thank you."

BC smiled, "Trust me, you have more than proven the existence of Hibiki Tokai." Dita works on her Dread when Misty rode a hover up to her level.

The blue-haired girl said, "Dita!"

The Dread pilot greeted, "Hey, Misty!"

Misty said, "I felt it was time to give you encouragement. Good-luck out there."

The redhead smiled, "Thank you!"

Misty asked her, "Are you scared?"

Dita shook her head, "Nope. It's because I'm with Mr. Alien!"

Misty chuckled, "Guess I can't compete with that."

Dita blushed, "Mr. Alien is really amazing. Sure, he makes mistakes and throws a temper tantrum but that drives him to do better. Whenever I'm with him, my heart races and that drives me to do my best!" Misty smiles at her friend's self-admission.

Meia and Jura watch the scene from nearby.

Jura shook her head, "When will she grow up?"

Meia asked, "You don't want her to change, do you?"

Jura replied, "I swear you're starting to sound more and more like Hibiki." Meia chuckles.

At the infirmary Paiway wonders if she should do one of her Pai checks but decides not to.

Duero noticed it, "What's wrong?"

Paiway put her little notebook away and said in her puppet voice, "I've decided to quit Pai checking on everyone, ribbit."

Duero said, "I see."

The nurse lowered the frog puppet to show a small blush on her cheeks, "It's time I start thinking a little about myself."

Duero smiled, "That's good. I felt the same when I first met everyone here." The 11-year old sticks out her tongue playfully.

On the bridge Magno ordered, "BC, I think it's time you open a certain circuit...to Mejale and Tarak."

BC elaborated, "You mean Grand Ma and Grand Pa." On Tarak, Hibiki's grandfather makes his way toward the council chamber holding a flower pot that sprouted. The door to the chamber opens up allowing him to step foot inside where Grand Pa and council members waited.

He showed them the pot, "Look at this, my brothers. Even in the harsh conditions of Tarak, something has finally sprouted!"

One council member scoffed, "You dragged us here just to show us a pot? It seems you still cling to the old beliefs 'till the end of your days." Soon Grand Ma appears on a separate monitor surprising the council members by calling Grand Pa by his real name, Zen and him calling her by her actual name, Anri.

Another council member demanded, "Quit fooling around! You volunteered to watch over the people that are in cold sleep underground. What's gotten into you?"

Zen asked, "What's the meaning of this, Jin?"

Hibiki's grandfather said, "It's time to pull back, my brothers. This isn't our future."

A third member answered with bafflement, "Have you gone crazy in your old age? It was a tough choice making Zen 'Grand Pa' and Anri 'Grand Ma' so we could separate men and women. Now you want to us reverse that decision?"

Jin nodded, "Exactly. The colonization ships were meant for the prosperity of humanity, not separation. Do you think that justifies the actions of the people who call this planet home?"

The third council member asked him, "Are you saying we should repeat what we did 100 years ago?"

Jin replied, "At that time, I yielded. Not this time, however."

The member said, "Then we don't have a resolution. With the eight of us, that leaves a split vote!"

Jin asked, "Why don't we let the ninth one decide?"

Zen narrowed his eyes, "Are you talking about Hibiki? That's impossible!"

Anri said in surprise, _"Hibiki's awake. Can't be, he's supposed to be in cold sleep!"_

Jin nodded, "Yes, he was but 14 years ago he woke up, around the same time you were building the Ikazuchi. The wheels of fate had begun to turn at that point!"

_"That boy Hibiki is about to fight as one of us!"_ Magno announced as she appeared on the screen.

Anri said, _"So you're Magno Vivan, leader of the Mejale space pirates."_

Jin studied her, "Magno?" He then recognized the old pirate, "It is little Magno! I remember us playing games together during our younger days, good times."

Magno smiled at her childhood friend, _"Uncle Jin. I'm so happy you recognize me after all these years. I remember playing games with you, good times indeed."_

A council member asked, "What does the leader of the space pirates want with us?"

Magno's face turned serious, _"I'm a member of the first generation, aren't I? I thought I'd throw in my two cents as well."_

Zen stated with absolution, "We have already made a decision. It took us 100 years to set things in motion. This meeting's over!"

Magno glared at him like he grew a second head,_ "Good for you perhaps but it won't benefit the children who live in that dull future." _Kyle appears on the monitor next to hers in full gear.

He said, _"I don't understand why you waste your time with these old geezers. They refuse to see the real threat coming here because they're focused on annihilating each other."_

Zen asked, "Who you might be?"

The Aurelian said, _"My name is Kyle Masterson but your history books call me Gryphus 1, the Southern Cross or Nemesis. While you two have been occupied with this pitiful war, the inhabitants of your original home world, Earth descended into madness after the last of the your colonization ships left. They believed they were the last true humans and initially attempted self-preservation through cloning but there wasn't enough genetic material. So with vile justification they started a harvesting operation to steal the organs of others aka your descendants for their own preservation. To carry out this operation, they used the last of the original Paksis to create a huge unmanned fleet of ships to hunt you fools throughout the universe and harvest without mercy. We sent message pods to warn you about the Harvesters but you gave us the cold shoulder. Do you know how long we endured this shit? One fucking whole year! For one year we fought the Harvesters just to live another day. We did something your two planets wouldn't dare try: Cooperate. Can't believe I'm gonna say this but you must put your differences aside and band together against our enemy. That's right. Our enemy is Earth. I say this because me and few of my friends come from a time line where the harvesting operation doesn't take place and the Earth teemed with all forms of life. If your planets don't fight together, you will lose everything. Your life, your future, your dignity, pretty much everything. We must fight to keep the river of life flowing!"_ The Paksis shines brightly in the Nirvana's engine room.

Parfet commented, "Wow, they haven't done but everyone's ecstatic! You'll fight alongside us, right Paksis?" The Dreads take off one by one until it was Kyle and his friends' turn.

After joining their comrades on the battlefield, Gryphus 1 said to the audience, "Behold the reason behind our successful battles! Hibiki, Dita, Mia, you know what to do."

Dita chirped, _"Yeah. Combine!"_ Hibiki fuses the Vanguard with Dita's Dread to form Vandread Dita and Mia fuses her Dread with Anubis to form Amaterasu, stunning both planets.

'Magno, I'm beginning to understand why you told me to open my eyes.' Anri thought.

The Nirvana's radar picks up a ship's signature.

Belvedere said, "Captain, Rebecca's ship Paraiso is approaching!"

Magno advised, "You should return to the hideout."

Rebecca appeared on the monitor, _"And get chewed out for abandoning the elderly? Not happening."_

Magno chuckled, "I see you took advantage of my absence to develop a sharp tongue."

Rebecca winked,_ "Things change when you become a parent."_ A nearby Tarak ship recorded the transmission.

The bridge operator said, "The Ikazuchi has made contact with the pirates, captain." The said man leans on the console with one hand over his right eye silently asking himself how this came about.

The Dreads, Tianlong Squadron and Mobius 1 form up to create a line of defense against the oncoming threat.

Meia ordered, "All units, assume formation delta with Vandread Dita and Amaterasu in the center." She spotted a different Dread, "Hey Valore, the enemy is tricky. It's best that you pull back."

Valore said,_ "Oh? Since when you did order me around? We can't let you have all the fun."_

A Dread pilot of Valore's group confirmed, _"That's right. If the Harvesters think we'll just sit idol and let them do what they please, they're dead wrong!"_ The Reg delivery ship joins in on the action.

Jura raised an eyebrow, "Even you, Barnette?"

The brunette told her, _"There will be a lot of delivery requests so it's best to come out here. Behind the scenes people pull their weight too, you know."_ An alert draws her attention. A ship soon appears in their line of vision. They immediately knew what kind of ship it was.

Belvedere confirmed, "That is a Harvest flagship. No doubt about it."

BC exclaimed, "Impossible! How did it get this close without detection?!"

Celtic informed, "It somehow got the Nirvana's recognition code. That made it harder to detect!"

Magno spat, "Hmph, cunning rats!" Alex's gut tells him there was more to this when he watched Barnette break formation. One obvious sign was the color of the flagship. It was orange instead of dark purple.

Jura asked, _"What are you doing, Barnette?"_

The Reg leader ordered, "All units, follow me! I'll take care of them!"

A voice chastised,_ "My, my, still the same hot-head, Barnette. Didn't I tell that was a bad habit?"_ That stops Barnette in her tracks.

Gryphus 2's eyes widened, _"Are you shitting me?"_

Belvedere gasped from her bridge control console, "It's Ms. Gasco! That's how they got the recognition code!"

Gascogne's face appeared on the monitor growling as she held up her fist, _"Damn it, I told you it's not Gasco it's Gasconge!"_

Ezra giggled, "That's Ms. Gasco alright."

Magno stated, "I'm _surprised you made it."_

_Gascogne apologized, "Sorry about that. I didn't want to come empty handed but my souvenir was quite large so it took a while. It was maddening getting the self-repair system up and running but it's pretty cute once you tame it."_ She raises her left arm to show two miniature cube-types massaging her bicep while giving the crew a thumbs-up. She boards the Nirvana and heads for Reg central where the Reg crew awaited.

They greeted, "Welcome back!" Nodding, Gascogne walks up to Barnette.

She praised, "You did an excellent job keeping things here going while I was away. I'll take over from here, you go out there and give them hell."

Barnette nodded, "Right." She starting running for the exit when stopped and looked her shoulder, "Ms. Gasco, thank you for staying alive."

The woman allowed the nickname slip this one time and smiled, "You're welcome." After the brunette left she ordered the stagehands, "Alright, girls let's get to work. We got a lot of requests to fulfill." Barnette dons her crown jewel and revealing violet outfit and joins the others.

She said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. It's been too long since I last flew this so my piloting may be a little rusty."

Crux chuckled, _"I was beginning to wonder if you'd every fly your Dread again."_

Rabat's voice came over the radio,_ "Righty right. My gut was telling me there was going to be an interesting battle."_

Hibiki wondered, "Rabat?"

His face appear on the screen, _"Thanks to the location beacons you sent out, you drew an audience!"_ Utan and a few natives of the planet Hibiki crash landed on accompany him. Even Liz and Patch were with them, the purple-haired woman gives the two-finger salute.

Belvedere said, "Captain, there's another fleet behind Rabat's ship?"

Magno blinked, "What?"

The captain of the flagship announced, _"Greetings, this is the anti-Earth fleet of Melanus! We have come to express our friendship to Hibiki Tokai."_

Hibiki whispered, "Melanus."

BC stated, "That system's targeted for their skin. They have come to avenge their fallen comrades."

Amarone alerted, "Captain, we are picking up another ship."

Magno said in surprise, "Another?" The ship came into view and the old woman recognized it, "It's the OSN Avenger!"

Kasumi's face appeared on screen, "Been a while, Ms. Vivan. Wanted to remain true to our word of having an alliance with you. You guys helped us drive the Harvesters out of our planetary system. They haven't returned since, allowing us to rebuild our military. Neighboring planets of Gaia were so impressed by our battle, they chose to form a resistance with us in the event Earth pays our system another visit." Razgriz Squadron was already deployed and the crew watches the number of allies continue to grow.

The captain of the Tarak ship saluted, _"This is the Todoroki, flagship of an ex-Tarak fleet. We've agreed with your ship's request and wish to join forces with you."_

A Vanguard pilot joined in, _"Ahoy there, this is General Ozaki Kyumel. Commander of the Gale Squadron, a group of attack Vanguards. We'd like to have the honor to attack first."_ His blue Vanguard swings the glaive over its head before striking a ninja pose with the right hand in front of its face.

Misty comically said, "Men are so dumb." A Mejale ship appears.

The captain stated, _"This is the Mejale Boarder Guard. May we offer assistance as well?"_ The leaders of Tarak and Mejale watch the number of ships come to the Nirvana's aid with Zen saying it truly was out of their hands now.

The Nirvana's radar soon detects 3 Harvest flagships.

Belvedere alerted, "The markers are responding! The enemy has arrived!" The minefield senses the enemy ships and activate, going after the nearest flagship. The mines detonate on contact turning the flagship into burning wreckage while the other 2 press forward. Behind them was a massive armada of cube-types that quickly fuse together to form Fakedread Dita, Meia and Jura.

Dita groaned, "Not those fakes again!"

Seeing the endless number of enemies, Ozaki grinned, _"Look at them all, I guess it's a good day to die!"_ Fakedread Jura is quickly disposed of by him and the pilot orders his wingmen to follow him.

Meia ordered, "Launch the attack!" She gets a "roger" from the other Dread pilots. Gasconge launches cube-types from her stolen Harvest flagship.

Amaterasu points the twin-barreled plasma rifle at a group of Seed Ships and fires, the yellow-white beams move at incredible speeds. The cube-types are quickly vaporized and Amaterasu whips around to fire at another Fakedread Dita who shot its shoulder-mounted laser cannons, the two enter a beam lock battling for supremacy until the beams cancel each other. Amaterasu fires again and Fakedread Dita sidesteps to avoid it. Amaterasu relentlessly attacks the blue and red Harvest unit, closing the distance, aims the plasma rifle at Fakedread Dita's chest and pulls the trigger. At this close range it was impossible to dodge. Amaterasu is rocked by an explosion and turns to see Fakedread Meia doing a hit and run. Putting the plasma rifle away, Amaterasu draws its sword and waits for the enemy to come around. When Fakedread Meia is close enough, the evil red machine gets cut in half. Amaterasu separates allowing Mia to deal with some enemies on her own.

Seeing a huge of Harvest units, Anubis' wings deploy and glow red, the abomination's mouth opens and an eerie blue glow starts to form. When the charge is complete Anubis fires the Ray of Damnation wiping them out. Not letting up Anubis turns a full 360 destroying every Harvest unit in the beam's path. Returning to face its 12 o'clock, Anubis detects movement coming its way.

A red Nirvana shifts into robot and focuses its laser into a beam, Anubis retaliates with the Ray of Damnation. A beam clash ensues. The red Nirvana amplifies the power output and starts pushing the beam closer to Anubis, however the mechanical god of the dead amplifies the output of the Ray of Damnation causing it to change color, going from an eerie blue to black with red lightning. This huge increase of power allows Anubis to turn the tide of battle. The beams explode and Anubis releases another shot of its amplified Ray of Damnation carving a deep gash in the red Nirvana's chest. The Harvest unit charges its chest beam again however it doesn't get the chance to fire because Anubis shoots its left arm off. Quickly closing the distance, Anubis kicks the giant back.

Gryphus 1 called out, "Crux! Gryphus 2!" The E-3 Sentry II and F-22 Raptor fly in unleashing their special weapons on the red Nirvana, the missiles hit it with deadly accuracy. The Harvest unit shudders under the impacts, Anubis slashes with Reaper followed by a blast of its left arm cannon. The airplanes next target the enemy's eyes rendering it blind. Anubis shoots the red Nirvana's left arm off and Gryphus 1's wingmen unleash another salvo of special weapons, this time attacking the neck. The red Nirvana tries swatting the fighters away but the E-3 and F-22 dodge it. Anubis fires the Ray of Damnation scoring a direct hit on the red Nirvana's chest, the said enemy releases a cry of pain before Anubis shoots its left arm cannon. The conjoined beams punch through the armor plating and emerge from the other side leaving a gaping hole in the chest. One final round of joint attacks finish the Harvest unit. A colossal explosion consumes it.

They didn't get the chance to celebrate because a second red Nirvana appears out of the fireball charging its chest but it gets attacked by Valore, Meia and Barnette.

Gryphus 2 said, "Thanks for the save!"

Valore told her fellow Dread pilot, _"Still the same headache as ever, Meia!"_

Meia replied in sarcasm, _"Thank you but yours is more annoying!"_

The fiery redhead blinked in surprise, _"Hold up, did you just laugh?"_

Jura explained, _"We're not the same people we used to be."_

Valore asked, _"Is it because of the men?"_

The blonde stated, _"I wouldn't say that."_

Barnette taunted in a playful matter, _"Better keep up or I'll leave you behind!"_

Gryphus 1 said, _"Barnette, you're up next."_ The brunette steers her Dread toward Anubis and combine to form Ma'at.

A swarm of cube-types fly past the red Nirvana's shoulder to provide support though it wouldn't help. Barnette and Gryphus 1 squeeze the control spheres to fire all of Ma'at's weaponry. The missile ports open up while the Gatling gun and high-power rifle take aim. Multiple lock-on markers appear on the monitor turning red one after the other. Once all of the targets are locked, it shows "Target Locked" for the pilots. Gryphus 1 and Barnette squeeze the control spheres prompting Ma'at to unleash its payload with Crux and Gryphus 2 joining in. The swarm of lead mows down every cube-type and the red Nirvana begins charging its chest when it suddenly gets cut diagonally by Shadow's scythe.

An explosion catapults Ozaki's Vanguard though thankfully Vandread Dita catches it.

Hibiki said, "Be careful, you don't wanna die out here."

Ozaki showed the youth a scar on his arm, _"You think something like this will scare me? Look at this scar. This proves I survived many battles and wear like a badge of honor. Maybe one day you'll realize this."_ Vandread Dita releases the Vanguard.

Not too far away, Razgriz Squadron enjoys the party of the century in Blaze's opinion.

Dead Eye follows Fakedread Meia with its high-caliber sniper rifle, its pilot waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger. Blaze points the long-range weapon slightly ahead and pulls the trigger. The armor-piercing bullet exits the barrel at blinding speed thanks to zero gravity. The end result is the bullet punching clean through Fakedread Meia's head. Dead Eye cocks the sniper rifle, ejecting the empty bullet out of the chamber and fires a second time penetrating the power source ending the Fakedread's life. A missile warning catches Blaze's attention. Looking to her 3 o'clock high, she spots F/A-18 Hornets shooting missiles at her. Unfazed the Osean switches to the minigun, the barrel starts rotating before commencing to intercept the incoming missiles lighting up the blackness of space. She watches them come around for another run and targets the F/A-18s with the small missile launcher. The lock-on symbols track the Hornets. The targeting system lets out a small buzzing noise telling Blaze the missiles are ready. Pressing the red button on the left control stick, the missiles are launched meeting their targets halfway.

Blaze simply said, "All too easy." She next saw Fakedread Dita about to attack her with its laser cannons prompting her to smile, "Really?" The blue and red Harvest unit get bombarded with explosive shotgun shells, courtesy of Phantom.

Fakedread Dita turns to the attacker's 1 o'clock before it can retaliate it gets struck again by Phantom's shotgun. 4 explosive rounds later and Fakedread Dita was no more. Looking to its partner, Dead Eye thanks Phantom with a thumbs-up. Phantom nods in return. An explosion to their 12 o'clock lets them know that Chopper was having a blast annihilating cube-types with the M-134 minigun. It was basically a slaughter!

Bulls Eye does a strafing run on a squadron of MiG-31s. The Foxhounds aim their 30mm cannons at the black robot, Bulls Eye dances around the rain of lead and fires back tearing the MiG-31s apart. Some F-117 stealth bombers try to launch a surprise attack on Chopper when they get cut down by Devastator's beam saber.

Inside his ship Rabat commented on the battle, "Wow, they're really putting on a show!" He noticed Utan begging him to let her join in, "Not yet, okay?" A good chunk of the Harvest armada closes in on the Nirvana its allied ships.

Bart stated, "Sheesh! If the enemy shoots at you, fire back!" The ships unleash their homing lasers on the enemy fleet, successfully repelling the attack.

Ma'at points the Gatling gun at the cube-types in front of it and moves its arm left sending a trail of bullets when the machine lets out a warning that it was being locked. Ma'at turns around in time to see a red beam hits the chest effectively separating the machine. Anubis and Barnette's Dread spin out of control before the pilots regain control.

Shaking his head Gryphus 1 looks directly in front of him to see a dark gray machine phase into existence.

Its appearance made it look like something straight out of hell with demonic scales covering its body, clawed hands and feet, twin tails with spaded tips, glowing white eyes, a face that resembled a bat with large ears, glowing white beady eyes and bat wings. In its right hand was a sword with upward curved, teeth-tipped crossguard and blood red colored blade.

Superheated air escapes the monstrosity's mouth when it emits a growl, glaring hatefully at Anubis. In response, Anubis draws Reaper and balls its left fist. The opponent lets out a challenging roar and Anubis' eyes glow brightly and roars back, accepting the challenge.

They both perform a hit and run, their blades clash and turn around for a second pass. Anubis brings Reaper down in an overhead chop while Armageddon swings Blood Fang in a horizontal strike, the two blades meet mid-strike generating sparks. Breaking off the attack Anubis swings its tail at its opponent, Armageddon bends backwards to avoid but then gets blasted in the fact by Anubis' left arm cannon. Recovering Armageddon shoots lasers from its eyes though Anubis dodges left. The two enter a sword dance parrying attacks until Armageddon's left arm gets obliterated from the Ray of Damnation. Seconds later the severed limb regenerates, Gryphus 1 was taken by surprise. However, that surprise turns into a smirk.

'Never thought I'd encounter someone who can present a challenge besides Ken.' The Aurelian thought.

Tianlong, other two members of Gryphus Squadron and Mobius 1 aid Vandread Dita and Dread pilots deal with a bunch of cube-types.

Meia ordered, "Ignore the small fry, go for the flagship!"

Hibiki answered, "Roger that!" Vandread Dita defuses and Hibiki combines his Vanguard with Meia's Dread to form Vandread Meia.

Valore said in shock, _"Amazing! Even Meia?!"_

Jura announced with confidence, "That's not the best one yet, Valore. Wait until you see mine."

Pyoro argued, "Whoever said it was the best?"

Jura glared at the robot, "Shut the hell up, Pyoro!" On the Nirvana's bridge, BC watches the fight unfolding before her.

She commented, "Incredible, everyone's fighting valiantly."

Magno agreed, "That's because they want to see that bright future ahead of us, BC. They want to help usher in a new era. That is what's driving them, the desire for peace, safety and most importantly want to see the way how our two planets view each other. Deep down they were tired of the stupid gender war our planets have raged for years."

She then heard Mobius 1 say, "I'm picking up a new radar signature. Whatever it is, it's huge. It will clear the magnetic storm at any second." Soon enough, a new Harvest ship clears the storm. Its design was nothing like the others the Nirvana crew encountered.

It was black in color, massive in size and the front was divided into three blocks that acted as covers for its cannon.

BC wondered, "What is that?"

Rabat answered, _"The Big Boy's here! That thing's not used for harvesting, it's used to destroy planets they no longer need."_

BC's eyes narrowed, "So Earth developed a planet killer. Didn't see that one coming."

Gryphus 2 asked, _"What the shit? They pulled a Star Wars now?"_ With Vandread Meia and the others, they glare at the new enemy unit.

Mobius 1 said, _"Stay on your toes, people. That thing's obviously carrying immense firepower."_

Hibiki agreed, "Understood, sir." Meia was taken back by Hibiki's response. She expected him to make some cocky remark but it seems the presence of Gryphus Squadron has changed that.

Vandread Jura was up next. The Vanguard fuses with the crimson Dread.

Valore said, _"How ugly!"_

Jura ignored her comment, "Oh, shut up! Form up, everyone! We're going to punch through!" The covers to the Big Boy's cannon open and starts charging up, seconds later a red beam is fired.

Meia yelled, _"Evasive action!"_ However, it was too late because Vandread Jura takes the brunt of the attack, the beam is so powerful it caused the Vandread to separate.

Catherine whispered in awe,_ "Such power."_

Barnette asked her close friend, "You okay, Jura?"

The blonde Dread pilot nodded, _"Somewhat."_

Pyoro announced, "Now it's time for Vandread Pyoro!"

Hibiki got in the white robot's face, "That's a stupid name!" The 3 Dreads and Vanguard fuse together to create Super Vandread. The machine draws its sword and heads toward the Big Boy cutting any Harvest unit that gets in the way then changes to flight mode to avoid beam attacks launched by the behemoth. It fires again.

Jura demanded, "Get out of our way, you fiend!" She slams her fist on the control panel and fires Super Vandread's beam cannon, aqua-green and red beams collide and fight for dominance until they explode. Super Vandread switches to robot form and waits for the result. Sure enough, the Big Boy emerges from smoke with some damage.

Armageddon drives Blood Fang into Anubis' right arm and begins discharging electricity, the mechanical god of the dead roars in pain. It fires the Ray of Damnation at the blade, severing it and kicks Armageddon away. Anubis pulls the bladed part out and quickly closes the distance. Securing a tight grip, the machine opens its mouth to blow Armageddon's head off when the opponent uses its free hand to lift Anubis' head upward when the Ray of Damnation is fired. When the beam dissipates, Anubis fights to bring its head down and left hooks Armageddon to make it let go. Upon release, it slashes the opponent across the chest leaving a deep gash that heals almost immediately. Gryphus 1 senses a presence coming from his opponent. Armageddon was manned by someone.

He sees Armageddon's eyes change color and fires the now blackened beams, freezing Anubis in a blackish red stasis field. The effect doesn't last long as Anubis' raw power allows it to break free and counterattack, launching a series of rapid strikes. Gryphus 1 focuses on the enemy's chest making sure it takes the enemy's regeneration ability longer to heal the damage. To his utter shock the cuts heal right away. Looking at Anubis, Armageddon wags its finger like an adult scolding a disobedient child. Anubis roars at it. It suddenly finds itself frozen by that blackish red stasis field again only this time it was strong enough to keep Anubis from powering through it.

Utan lets a comical sigh after firing all of her machine's weaponry on every Harvest unit in front of her. She got the go-ahead from Rabat moments earlier to join the battle.

Inside his ship Rabat looked at the monitor showing the depleted ammo and face palmed, "Jesus, biggest waste of money in the whole damn universe! Might have to start putting ammo limits on that orangutan's robot. At this rate, I'll end up being permanently broke!"

Gascogne came up on the screen asking, _"Need some bullets? I'll sell them to you cheap."_

Rabat said, "Come on, you know I need them." A gasp escapes him when the Big Boy fires a huge salvo of lasers at every ship, severely damaging or destroying them. Utan lets out a startled shriek but her unit is untouched.

Razgriz Squadron evade the attack while the OSN Avenger rocks from the impact. Luckily her thick armor allows her to survive.

Edge glared at the Big Boy, "Fucking asshole! You'll pay for that!"

Blaze cried, _"No Edge, stay put!"_ The Nirvana rocks from the impact as well.

BC ordered, "Hold her steady! All teams, give me a status report!"

Bart asked her, _"You want status? The ship's not responding!"_

In the engine room, Parfet saw the Paksis being engulfed by the red light, "This ain't good! The Paksis froze up!"

On the bridge Magno grunted, "This sucks."

Rabat said with a smirk on his face, _"Don't know what you guys did but you certainly pissed off the folks on Earth big time."_ Super Vandread lowers the shield it used to protect itself, Tianlong, Gryphus Squadron and Mobius 1 survived thanks to their skills.

Hibiki growled, "They certainly have a nasty way of saying hello!"

Dita asked, "I wonder why the Paksis from Earth is red?"

Pyoro answered, "The Paksis is a being that changes, reflecting the hearts of those who touch it. Red is the color of danger. A closed heart that does not accept others."

Jura narrowed her green eyes, "A closed heart that doesn't accept others." Devastator battles a third Fakedread Dita.

The two exchange blows until Fakedread Dita makes a mistake, falling for a feint attack that left itself open to a counter. Devastator brings its beam saber up and cuts Fakedread Dita in half. An alarm brings his attention to more Harvest units to kill.

Inside Super Vandread, Hibiki said, "You may not accept others but you're going to rather you like it or not!" The machine draws its sword out of its palm and cuts down Fakedread Dita, Meia and Jura along the way. The Big Boy shoots its cannon at Super Vandread causing it to defuse and the main Dreads flicker about.

Jura spotted Pyoro trapped in-between her breasts and demanded, "Get away from me!" Hibiki pushes forward hoping to inflict damage on the Big Boy when it gets encased by an odd kind of shield. The Dread pilots move in to rescue Hibiki when they get trapped by the shield too.

Barnette said to Magno, _"That shield can't be penetrated by our firepower!"_

Valore asked, _"What do you want us to do?"_

Magno said, "Looks like everything lies in the hands of those kids. Barnette, Valore, you two take command there are still plenty of enemies to deal with."

Both pilots nodded, _"Roger!"_ Back with Meia and the other main Dread pilots they struggle to free their futuristic planes.

Jura asked, "What is this pressure?"

Meia wondered, _"Is this another ability of the Paksis?"_ She then sees the shield bring Anubis to them.

Gryphus 1 growled, _"Fuck, I can't move!"_

A voice said, _"Resistance is futile!"_ A small appears on their screens from inside Armageddon. He gives them a cold, blank stare.

Gryphus 1's eyes burned with rage, "So you're the leader of the Harvesters. Release me so I can end your life."

The Harvest leader ignored his request, _"The Paksis seems to have taken an interest in you seeing as you were somehow able to synchronize with it. You're all...incomplete."_

Meia asked, "The hell you talking about?"

The Harvest leader said, _"Zen, leader of Tarak and Anri, leader of Mejale, thanks to your efforts Earth is eternal. Thank you!"_

Gryphus 1 seethed, "Fuck your so-called eternal Earth and fuck you!"

Their opponent said, _"It's because of us that you were even born, don't you think it's right to return the favor for our benefit? But you continue to defy us across the universe. At this rate Earth will perish. So we chose the best path to prosperity. To ensure mankind continued to survive. We are all children of Earth we can't allow ourselves to die, you will live on as part of us."_

'This guy's making me sick!' Gryphus 2 thought as he listened.

The Harvest leader continued, "_For those of you unfortunate to die, be happy because you're able to die! Not everyone has that ability. All of you have that destiny, rejoice it!"_ He brought his glare to Gryphus 1, _"And you. The Southern Cross, Nemesis, Gryphus 1, whatever you're called you have been a real headache for us on Earth. You and the others from your time line have defied your destiny from the moment the Paksis you here. Southern Cross, you have murdered my two most valuable assets: Diego Gaspar Navarro and Francesca."_

Gryphus 1 scoffed, "Those two ruined my life the moment they commented the most heinous act. My country of Aurelia was virtually taken over by Leasath forces over the span of 10 days thanks to the original Gleipnir. That very same airborne fortress nearly wiped my entire squadron over Cape Aubrey. Add to it, Leasath forces occupied the Gaiuss Tower in the capital of Griswall using it not only as their HQ but as an insult. Navarro had my father killed, my mother and adopted little sister died in a bombing run that nearly wiped my hometown off the map. Francesca made me watch Sara and Jessica get raped and murdered in front of me and tried to kill me. You really think I was gonna let that slide? Hell no! I led Aurelian to victory after victory, reclaiming lost territory. The original Gleipnir felt my wrath during the liberation of Santa Elva and Griswall days later. The real reason behind Navarro's invasion became clear. It was to acquire money to fund his beloved Fenrir project. Hmph, like I'd let that aircraft enter mass production. My piloting skills allowed me to triumph over Fenrir and destroy Archelon Fortress, ending the war. There's no way I would allow history to repeat itself with you guys harvest the organs of people who had shed blood, sweat and tears to colonize the universe."

Dita nodded, _"That's right. What you're is nothing but cold-blooded murder!"_

The Harvest leader said, _"Come now, little one open your heart. This operation has beauty in it! Don't you believe giving your life for another is the most honorable thing to do?"_

Dita shook her head, "You're wrong! I may be a klutz but I treasure peoples' emotions more than anyone else. I would gladly give up my body if it meant others would live! It's my choice and nobody can take that away!"

The enemy asked, _"What?"_

Jura smiled, _"Dita, that was wonderful. Listen up you selfish prick, no matter how powerful or how important you think you are, you will never have the ability to open your heart to others."_

Meia agreed,_ "Regardless of what happens, we have a finite lifespan. We grow old and eventually die. That's why we live each day to the fullest, learn through our mistakes so that we pave the way for our descendants. Cowards that hide in the shadows will never understand even if it's just around the corner!"_

Rabat threw his head back laughing, "Oh man, this guys are so entertaining! All I'm missing is some popcorn!"

The Harvest leader sighed in irritation, _"Believing in the future is rambling of the weak. Now you're beginning to bore me!"_ A red aura surrounds him.

In the helm, Bart commented, "Man, he's more of a chatterbox than me. And rotten, too."

Pyoro nodded, "Yeah, what an annoying little brat!"

Hibiki laughed, "I must have sounded real mature when I found proof of my existence but now I understand I must conquer my fears. That's how strength is achieved. Ain't that right, Kyle?"

The Harvest leader laughed,_ "You still have much to learn."_

Gryphus 1 took over, _"Look who's talking. You think you're winning this game? All you morons of Earth are doing is delaying the inevitable. Like Meia said nothing lasts forever. Stars, planets, nothing. You are no different." _The enemy applied pressure but the Aurelian ignored it,_ "You don't scare me. I conquered my personal demons and yet my hatred for you won't die. There's one big difference between us. I have friends I can turn to for comfort or advice. Prior to coming here, I closed my heart. I thought it would protect me from more emotional torment. I was wrong. Compared to that, you are a joke!"_ The Paksis in the Nirvana's engine room repelled the counterpart from Earth and returns to its normal brilliant blue.

The Harvest leader growled, _"I. Truly...hate you!"_ Armageddon blasted Anubis' limbs off, _"You should go away!"_ After that, Armageddon sinks its teeth into the amputated machine draining it of power. Anubis' roars in pain. After 10 minutes, the enemy releases its grip and backs up.

Hibiki taunted, "You can't win so you chicken out?"

The Harvester leader yelled, _"EVERYONE MUST DIE!"_ Against all laws of physics, a miniature wormhole appears and starts pulling everything nearby into it.

Crux asked, _"What the hell's that?"_

Rabat's eye widened,_ "Uh-oh, that doesn't look good."_

Parfet felt fear run down her spine when she saw the Paksis flashing, "That's bad." She contact Magno, "Captain, the Paksis seems to be reacting in the same way it did when it threw us into a different sector of the galaxy."

BC surmised, "Back then, a wormhole appeared out of the Paksis' instinct of self-preservation. So it's no surprise it would happen again."

Pyoro appeared on the screen, _"But this isn't self-preservation. They are using the energy you create by tearing the fabric of time and space."_

Misty titled her head, "Meaning..."

The white robot shouted, _"THEY TRYING TO BLOW UP EVERTHING ON THIS SIDE OF THE GALAXY!"_ The crew gasps in horror.

Bart said, _"There's nowhere to run!"_

Magno growled, "Well that's fucking great! They certainly succeeded in making the Paksis a bloodthirsty monster!" Their allied ships begin pulling out in order to escape.

Hibiki attempts to be the hero and close the wormhole by himself but Dita wouldn't allow it, combining her Dread with his Vanguard to create Vandread Dita.

He asked her, "Why did you have to go and do that?"

Dita said, "We're stronger together, Mr. Alien. Haven't you realized that by now?" The shiny blue Vandread drives its gauntlets into the wormhole.

The redhead wanted Hibiki to say her name but it's thwarted by Jura, _"Hey guys, this is heartwarming and all but can we get down to business?"_

Pyoro did an eye smile, "Let's finish this with Vandread Pyoro."

Hibiki exhaled, "You guys." All 4 machines fuse and Super Vandread annihilates the red shield that held it and Anubis.

In her bridge control console, Belvedere said, "Super Vandread has arrived, it's putting up a shield." Excruciating pain hits Magno's chest and she takes deep breaths to pump oxygen into her lungs.

BC advised, "Don't overdo it."

Hibiki chuckled,_ "Don't overdo it? That's only for those without enough breathing room."_ Despite being the most powerful of the combinations, Super Vandread struggles against the overwhelming pressure as pieces of its armor breaks off.

Meia urged, "Don't give up! Think about the future! We'll fight to usher it in!" An intense blue light envelops Super Vandread.

Pyoro said to the Paksis, "Friends. Things to be cherished. We must protect our friends!" A massive laser barrage unleashed by the Paksis cancels the wormhole out and destroys its evil counterpart.

Gascogne grins at the sight.

Gryphus 2 shouted, "We won! We won! We fucking won!" Cheering can be heard over the radio. A sigh of relief escapes him when he saw the damaged Super Vandread encased in an aqua-green shield.

Inside the machine, the pilots come to.

Hibiki asked, "What happened?"

Pyoro replied, _"It's the Paksis' doing."_

Jura smiled, "It really is our friend."

Dita smiled as well, "Thank you."

Hibiki sighed, "We did it. Came close to death's door but we protected our future."

Jura asked him, "You sound pretty awkward. That's not like you."

Hibiki rubbed the back of his head, "I've made enough comments for one day. We won't hear anymore from me."

Meia giggled, "Well, are you ready to head back? I expect a big welcome back." A monitor on the Nirvana's bridge shows the personnel Super Vandread standing in triumph.

Ezra rubbed tears from her eyes, "Thank goodness everyone's okay."

Misty nodded, "Of course they are. We did, Q-Chan!"

Inside the helm, Bart said, "Good because I can't take it anymore."

BC smiled, "Oh, brother."

Magno lightly pounded her chest, "I can't go down just yet. Have to see what the future holds in store for us. Besides, those kids are still too reckless to be left alone."

BC nodded, "You're right, captain." With the battle now over, virtually all of the allied ships return home save for the Avenger who waited for Razgriz Squadron to return.

Blaze commented, "That was quite the party. Wouldn't you guys agree?"

Chopper agreed, _"You're right."_ Close by, Gryphus 1 grins behind his helmet. After enduring one whole year of fighting the Harvesters, they won. The leaders of the Harvesters on the other hands wasn't happy.

He seethed, _"No, my wormhole."_ He glared at Anubis, _"You...you bastards! My plan's in ruins because of you! I'll kill you for this!"_ Armageddon shoots its eye lasers at the damaged Super Vandread when Anubis appears in front of it to protect it, sprouting its wings to absorb the energy.

After a full minute the beam attack stops and Anubis directs the collected energy into where its limbs were to generate new ones. Releasing an ear-shattering roar, Anubis races toward Armageddon leaving deep gashes in the armor and starts cutting off its wings. Grabbing Armageddon with one hand Anubis throws it, the single row of spines running down its back glow purple as the Ray of Damnation is charged to maximum then fires. The sheer power of it pushes Armageddon further until it explodes, ending the Harvest leader's life. Anubis roars in victory. Turning around it stares at Super Vandread for a moment before heading to the Nirvana.

Touching down, Gryphus 1 leans back removing his helmet when he suddenly finds himself in the Paksis. He watches a speck of light take the shape of his mother, the Aurelian feels this was the Paksis' way of talking to him.

His mother wore a white dress, white gloves and heels.

The Paksis said, _"You've done well, Kyle Masterson."_

Kyle lowered his head, "Thank you, I suppose. With the death of their leader, the Harvesters will think twice before trying again."

The entity went on, "_You have suffered much, young one. However, you've found strength in the form of your friends."_ It came closer and puts a finger on Kyle's forehead.

He asked, "What are you doing?"

The Paksis said, _"True warriors don't quit. They fight with determination, passion and desire to see the next day. That is why I, the Paksis Pragma proclaim your redemption is complete. Take this as your reward."_ Giving him the most loving smile, the Paksis channels its amazing power to suck the Onryo Mode out of Kyle. The glowing vein marks on his neck vanish, his eyes return to their normal blue-gray, his pupils become round and teeth return to normal. The Onryo Mode extracted from Kyle accumulates into a black ball then dissipates, never to return. The remains of the red Paksis fragment that was in Kyle's skull evaporated during the extraction process as well.

Pulling its finger the Paksis locks eyes with Kyle. A look of gratitude shows on Kyle's face. The Paksis next pulls the Aurelian into a hug for what seems like hours.

Breaking the embrace Kyle held out his katana to give it back when the Paksis shakes its head confusing Kyle.

It said, _"Keep it."_ The Paksis began glowing, _"Go, your friends are waiting for you."_ When the light vanishes Kyle was in the cockpit of Anubis. Leaving the cockpit a question came to him. What now?

A/N: Chapter 21 done.

Not much to say, the title speaks for itself.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for the epilogue.

Vader 23A


	22. Epilogue

Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread or the Ace Combat series.

The Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage

The following day the Nirvana remains docked with an asteroid base with a hanger built in as the crew waited for Magno to return with good news about the negotiations.

The shuttle lands and Magno and BC walk down the ramp when the crew approached them.

Rebecca asked, "How did it go, captain?"

Magno cleared her throat, "Our planets have signed a peace treaty as part of the co-existence they're about to do." The crew cheers at the announcement.

Catherine fist pumped, "Fuck yeah!"

BC added, "That means this place will be of utmost importance. This place will serve as the experiment sight for men and women living together."

Mori cocked her head, "They're using the Nirvana for this experiment?"

Misty shook her own head, "You're looking for trouble if you do that. You can't force people to do something against their will."

BC explained, "Duero, Bart and Hibiki will be in charge of finding suitable candidates from Tarak as part of the experiment."

Duero asked, "When do we leave?"

The platinum-haired woman replied, "Now if possible." That earns a collected gasp from the crew. Dita was hit the hardest.

Gascogne placed a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder, "Hey, cheer up. It's not like you're never going to see him again."

Dita said, "But I wanted Mr. Alien to visit my room." Hibiki panics and looks away when Dita looked his way.

Misty asked, "What promise did he make?"

Catherine flashed her a grin, "Didn't you hear her? She wanted Hibiki to visit her room."

Misty blushed and turned her head to hide it, "I have strange ideas floating in my head now."

Pyoro leaned in closer, "What kind of ideas?"

Magno whined, "When did a pirate spaceship turn into a daycare center?" BC giggles at the old woman's expense.

The three men board the shuttle and take one last look at the women.

Gascogne said, "Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

Pyoro waved, "Have a good time!"

Hibiki growled, "What do you think you're doing? You're coming with us! Shut up and get on that shuttle!" He throws the white robot onto the shuttle, knocking Bart down.

Parfet called out, "Hey, doctor! Come back soon, you know how jealous your patients get when you're not around."

Duero nodded, "Yes, I will do that." Paiway appears out of nowhere.

Parfet asked, "What are you doing?"

Paiway replied, "I've been curious this whole time!" She flicks the hair covering the right side of Duero's face, based on their reactions they liked what they saw.

Duero smirked, "Feel better now?" Hibiki shakes his head.

Jura stands in front of them with an instructor stance.

She ordered, "These men you will be bringing, I will interview each of them personally before coming to a decision. Ugly guys are forbidden and make sure to call in every morning and evening. If you forget even once..." She breaks into tears and runs toward the men in a group hug though Hibiki escapes.

Barnette told him, "Don't be fooled. She's just seeing who is best suited to be a parent."

Hibiki rolled his head, "Not surprised."

Meia approached him, "Hibiki." She held out her hand for him to shake which he did, "I'm glad I met you. Thanks a lot."

Hibiki nodded, "Same here." They both hear struggle going on and Misty pulls Dita through the crowd.

Misty said, "Hibiki, she has a favor to ask you."

Hibiki asked, "A favor?"

Misty elbowed the redhead, "Come on stop beating around the bush, Dita!"

The Dread pilot twiddled her fingers, "Well...um...I'd like you to say my name."

Hibiki blushed, "Your name? Don't be ridiculous! Why would I want to do that?"

BC called out, "Hibiki! Come on, we have to go!" She struggles to hold Pyoro back.

Hibiki turned around, "Well, good-bye." The redhead was about to run away when he called out with an open hand, "Dita! Come on!" That earns a look of surprise from Misty and Jura.

Dita said, "Sure!" She runs up the ramp and grasps Hibiki's hand as the crew watches. Pulling her inside, BC closes the door and steers the shuttle out of the asteroid base.

The crew next hears jet engines starting up, they turn as one to see the J-20s, E-3 Sentry II, F-22 Raptor, Falken and Mia's Dread lining up. Looking out the hanger bay, they see a wormhole opening up for them. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it meant.

Gazing at Meia, Kyle extends his hand silently asking her to come with him. Back to his time line.

Meia was conflicted on what to do. On one hand, she was curious of what the world in Kyle's time line was like. On the other, her instincts told Meia she belonged with the crew. She felt her heart sink when Kyle sighs dropping his hand understanding where she belonged. With that he boards Anubis and exits the hanger. Directing her gaze to Magno, she sees the old pirate nod with a smile. The crew did the same.

Anubis was about to enter the wormhole when Meia called out, _"Wait for me, Kyle!"_ Anubis turns around to see Meia's Dread coming towards it. Joy fills Kyle's heart knowing he could now show Meia his country. The two enter the wormhole that closes behind them.

Arriving back to the year 2021, just a few months after Gryphus Squadron's disappearance, the same wormhole opens up. The fighters exit and head for their respective countries.

Remaining true to his word, Ken retired from ISAF and reunited with his dog Heather. He decided to start a shelter for animals that suffered abuse and neglect, even adopting a 2 year-old male black lab for Heather to play with.

Chang headed for China to confront his family. After knocking on the door, Chang's father opened it. A look of shock forms on his face when he sees his son standing there. He quickly runs into the house to get his wife. Returning to the door, Chang's mother covered her mouth at the sight of her child and hugs him like he was her lifeline.

Catherine visited her parents' grave telling them she made it back. Mori joined after talking with her mother via Skype.

Alex continued to fly his F-22 while Eugene transferred to become an official fighter pilot stating it was his true calling.

Hovering above the Gaiuss Tower, Kyle looks at the early morning sky the first rays of the Sun beginning to show on the horizon through the monitor inside the cockpit. He looks down to see Meia being captivated by Aurelia. She had never seen such a beautiful and peaceful place. Kyle knew in 10 years this peace would end and a series of events would lead to Aurelia's collapse. Now they were back, Gryphus Squadron could prevent or at least delay it, extending the era of peace for Aurelia.

Anubis roars into the sky letting Aurelia know its protectors have returned.

A/N: Epilogue done.

This concludes the Odyssey of Discovery: Gryphus 1 the Second Stage.

Damn, this was tougher than I thought but I did it. I want to thank Redstar Henry for proposing this challenge and ideas when I was stuck.

I want also want to thank all the readers who have been patient and followed.

Read and review.

Vader 23A


End file.
